


A knight and her droid

by pico_chulo



Series: Grey Revan Series [3]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: Knights of the Old Republic (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Asexual Character, F/M, Knights of the Old Republic, KotOR, Star Wars - Freeform, Starwars Kotor, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-20
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:47:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 40
Words: 58,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22338766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pico_chulo/pseuds/pico_chulo
Summary: Velyn found herself staring at the droid in the corner again. There was something about it that nudged lightly at her brain. It wouldn't hurt to at least go talk to the droid, would it?A novelization story focused around the development of Velyn (Revan / MC) and HK-47 Relationship through the main plot of KOTOR 1. Slight AU / Canon Divergence: Where MC finds out that they are Revan BEFORE Leviathan. Asexual Revan (not important but fun). No Beta we die like men.Update: 6/25/2020 - Story is currently towards the end of the game (on the Last Star Map)
Relationships: HK-47 & Female Revan (Star Wars), HK-47/Female Revan (Star Wars)
Series: Grey Revan Series [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1636189
Comments: 18
Kudos: 25





	1. A long time ago in a galaxy far far away

Velyn didn't care for Jedi. 

She had always heard stories about them and even though she didn't encounter many in her adventures as a scout, she had pretty strong feelings about the Order and the way that the Jedi composed themselves. These feelings didn't change when Velyn met the Jedi Bastila.  
Before they even met, the ship they were on, the Endar Spire, was attacked. Velyn and another soldier, Carth escaped and ended up on the planet Taris. Carth let Velyn know about Bastila, the fleet commander and a Jedi that was in charge of the Endar Spire. Even though Velyn wanted nothing more than to leave the planet, Carth convinced her to help track down Bastila. They would need her help to get off planet, Carth argued. 

As they started the search for Bastila, Velyn and Carth ended up creating a small Team composed of a Mandalorian, a Twi’lek, a Wookie, and a small Droid. When they did track down Bastila, she was very quick to remind them of her rank.  
A simple plan to escape the planet ended up a disaster. The Planet Taris was destroyed by the Sith and Bastila guided their new ship, the Ebon Hawk, to the planet Dantooine. Because OF COURSE the Jedi leader would lead them to find refugee a planet full of Jedi. It wasn’t that Velyn was upset about the situation, but she would be lying if she said she was thrilled about it. 

Velyn knew this was just the beginning for her and her newfound crew members.


	2. Dantooine: Velyn's doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn has began her training but she is having a lot of doubt.

It was just Velyn's luck that the Jedi Council on Dantooine wanted to speak with her personally. Bastila, apparently, was very vocal on allowing Velyn to train with them on Dantooine and to be accepted into the Order. Velyn didn't want to be trained and was fine just being who she had always been, a simple but useful scout. But after being told by the Council of her potential to help defeat the Sith and support the Republic, she gave in and began her training under Bastila.

It wasn't too long after her training began that she began to hear about the Dark Lords Revan and Malak. She had remembered encountering Malak's fleet. But Revan was still someone she didn't know too much about. As she meditated with one of the Jedi Masters, this curiosity nagged at her. She sighed and released her focus.  
“I want to ask some questions, Master Zhar.” Velyn’s voice grew softer as she spoke. “About Revan and Malak.” 

The Twi'lek master kept his focus and continued to keep his eyes closed as he answered her. Velyn could tell that he had been expecting this question. “The Jedi Order moved too slowly for Revan and Malak; we were too cautious in their eyes. They always sought to learn far quicker than their Masters felt was prudent. It is one thing to understand a lesson, but to truly comprehend it takes a wisdom that only comes with time." He opened his eyes to speak directly to her. "Several years ago, when the Mandalorian threat first arose, Revan and Malak were eager to journey to the Outer Rim to defeat the enemy of the Republic. But the Council felt it best if we moved with care and caution. The true threat, the Council feared, had not yet revealed itself. But Revan would not be dissuaded. Charismatic and powerful, it was inevitable many of the Order would flock to Revan's seemingly noble cause. Malak was the first to join his closest friend. Others soon followed, many of our youngest and brightest, intent on saving the galaxy from the Mandalorian threat.” Velyn focused intently on his words. 

“They disobeyed the Council’s wishes." 

Zhar simply nodded and spoke a bit harsher. “They were foolish to disregard the Council's wishes." 

"But they just wanted to help." Velyn interrupted before she could thing. She immediately held back any other words, embarrassed and a bit surprised by her own outburst. Zhar noticed this, but seeing her own reaction only continued his speech.

"I do not know what happened to Revan, Malak and their followers on the farthest reaches of the Outer Rim, but something corrupted them. Their ideals became twisted, their spirits were tainted and they fell to the dark side. There is a lesson in this, a lesson you would do well to take to heart: the dark side can corrupt even the most noble of Jedi.”

She frowned and nodded solemnly. “I understand.” She sighed and stood up. “Excuse me Master, I should be going now.” He gave a light gesture to dismiss her.

“You have learned much, yet there is much more for you to still understand. The way of the Jedi must be entered into with a clear and focused mind. When you feel you are ready to continue your training, know that you can find me here.” 

She nodded and stepped out. Her hand brushed through her dark auburn hair as she tried to think.   
The Jedi training only confused Velyn. She knew that she was working for good, but something still didn’t sit well with her. There were things that she was glad to accept. Velyn liked protecting people and helping those around the area out. She liked feeling connected to something greater. But she still felt forced in the restraints of the Jedi Teachings. Velyn doubted her choice of starting her training with Bastila. Even to the point of attempting to speak with Bastila about it. But Bastila insisted that this was the best course of action and that Velyn needed to give it a chance. So Velyn continued to do her best, more or less. 

After one of these heavier conversations with Bastila and unable to sleep, Velyn went to speak with the Chronicler, a history keeper of the Jedi. She wanted to learn more about Malak and Revan. About how they rose to power and hopefully find something that could convince Velyn that she could help the Republic and the Order take down Malak. Having talked to several people about Revan and Malak, Velyn didn't learn a lot. They only told her about Revan's charisma and brilliance but how they were arrogant and were corrupted. Revan turned to the dark side and after being killed by Bastila, Malak took Revan's place. 

This information wasn't earth shattering for Velyn, but the Chronicler assured her that if Revan could be taken down, Malak could also fall. He encouraged Velyn and told her that Velyn would be needed to help fight the Sith and Malak. Velyn felt better after the talk and went back to her training, now more motivated. She would do her best to help take Malak down and this brought her a new found excitement in her lessons.


	3. Dantooine: Velyn's Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn finishes her initial jedi trials and has an interesting encounter.

Velyn was almost done with her Trials. After this she would become an official member of the Order. Her final task, before she could complete the trials, was to find and eliminate the source of corruption in a nearby grove. The creatures in the area were becoming twisted and the darkness threatened to spread further. 

New light saber in hand, Velyn approached the grove. Holding her new saber felt strange, but she convinced herself that it was because everything was still foreign to her and that she would adjust to it over time. This strangeness only grew as she entered the grove area. Her hair on the back of her neck stood up and she activated her saber.  
Before she could even process it, she was blade to blade with another person. Velyn pushed them back. The stranger, a woman, held a glowing red lightsaber, a Sith. The Sith woman lunged towards Velyn again. Velyn engaged her again and after a few vicious strikes, the person accidentally dropped their blade and she stood over them. Her own blue blade hovering over the woman's neck.

“You… you are strong. Stronger than me, even in my darkness.” The woman spoke, Velyn adjusted the blade slightly to allow her more room to speak. 

“Who are you?” Velyn asked.

“I am Juhani, and this is my grove. This is the place of my dark power. This is the place you have invaded. When I embraced the dark side, this was where I sought my solace. It is MINE!” She nearly growled. Velyn held steady, something told her there was something more to this woman than just pure hatred.

“You were a jedi then?” Velyn asked. 

“A better Jedi than you will ever be. More powerful as well, for I could best MY teacher.” Juhani propped herself up. Velyn allowed it, though she kept cautious. “When I slew my Master, Quatra, I knew I could never go back. And now I revel in my dark power.” Velyn noted Juhani's hateful tone, but couldn't but feel a bit sad at the tale. “What is it you want?” 

“I was sent by the Council to cleanse the taint from this grove.” Velyn refocused. She had to remember what she came here to do. Find the source and kill it. She had found the source, now...

“The Council has sent you here to kill me? Why, then, when you bested me so easily, did you not simply finish your task? Is it not apparent that I can never be saved?” Juhani asked. 

Juhani's words cut deep. Velyn did hesitate. She had killed people before and if she killed this woman now, she would be doing her duty. So why did Velyn hesitate? She didn't really know. She wondered what more Juhani had to say. There must be something more to this story. Velyn sighed and then sheathed her lightsaber. Placing it in it's holster. “I have no desire to kill you, Juhani.” 

Juhani seemed surpised at Velyn’s reaction. “You… you do not?” She stared at Velyn and sat up fully. “I sit here and think myself to be great by embracing the dark side, but I am nothing!" These words hurt Velyn. "There is no way I could be turned back! I always thought they held me back, were jealous of my power. But it is only because I was not good enough to meet their standards... I never have been.” 

Velyn studied Juhani's expression carefully. She frowned. It wasn’t a secret that the Jedi Masters were harsh, she too sometimes doubted if she met their expectations. She felt pained to see how that harshness could push someone like Juhani to darkness. 

“It is not your fault Juhani.” Velyn muttered and then crouched down, Juhani backed slightly away from her. Velyn raised her hands to show that she wouldn't attack. Juhani needed help and the one thing that Velyn was she of, was that she wanted to help when she could. 

“I only wish things could have been different...” Juhani sighed. “If she were alive now, there would be so much I would say to her… So much I would apologize for. Oh, how can the Council ever take me back with what I have done? Striking my Master down in anger is unforgivable!” 

“Do not worry, Juhani. They will take you back.” Velyn responded, unsure at the moment whether what she was saying was true. 

“I should convince them that I am truly repentant, that I am willing to forsake the dark side. Maybe, just maybe, they would accept me back. Do you think they would? Could it be possible after what I have done?” Juhani looked to her. Velyn gave a firm nod and a gentle smile. 

“Of course it would. They will accept you back.” Velyn had made up her mind. One way or another the Jedi Council will accept Juhani back. Velyn would make sure of it. 

“I… I thank you, master Jedi.” The two of them stood up together. Velyn went to pick up Juhani's saber and then handed it to her. Something told her that Juhani's intention was sincere. “I will return to the Council, then. I shall submit myself to their judgement, and hope that they will forgive me. Again, I thank you. I am sure I will hear great things about you in the future.” Juhani left Velyn with a faint smile. 

Velyn felt a warmth overcome her there was comfort in saving someone. There was something that bothered her about Juhani's position, but for now Velyn was just happy enough to have finished her trials.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will state now that Juhani in this version does not join the crew. Also I will try to upload chapters in chunks of two, but no guarantees.


	4. Dantooine: The Ruins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and Bastila discover something in the ruins at Dantooine.

Upon Velyn's return to the Council she finally claimed her title as Padawan and of course, she was given a new mission. This time she was to investigate a set of ruins where another Jedi had disappeared. 

“I will investigate the ruins right away.” Velyn gave a light bow to the Council as she accepted the task.

“Be sure to bring Bastila with you. There is a powerful link between you, and you will need to draw strength from each other during the trials ahead.” Master Vandar Tokare reminded her. 

Velyn begrudgingly agreed and met up with Bastila. It’s not like Velyn hated Bastila, but due to there 'connection' and Bastila's consistent formality Velyn had a hard time getting along with her. It didn't help that they had been having the same shared dream of Revan and Malak for the past few nights. 

As they made there way towards the ruins, Velyn figured it would be the best time to discuss it with Bastila. 

“I want to talk about that dream.” Velyn said rather bluntly. 

Bastila seemed a little surprised at this, but replied calmly. “It was less of a dream and more of a vision… a vision the two of us shared. But I am certainly willing to answer any questions the Jedi Council did not.” Bastila looked over at Velyn. Velyn sighed. She had replied exactly how Velyn was expecting she would. 

“I just... I still don’t understand why we shared this ‘vision’.” Velyn grew frustrated as some pent up feelings flared up.

Bastila seemed to sense Velyn’s frustrations and spoke again. “Are you wondering why we shared the vision? Or why we even received it in the first place?” They both stopped in their tracks. Velyn tensed at Bastila’s shift in tone. “To the first I can only repeat the answer that the Council gave us. Our fates are linked, and for two as strong as we are in the Force that amounts to a near-physical bond. As to the second, I don't truly have an answer for you. The Force works as it will, and perhaps we should be grateful for what we have been given.” 

“But how did our fates become linked?” 

There was an uncomfortable pause. Bastila gave a faint sigh and then replied. “I…I don’t know.” Velyn blinked, for a moment she thought that Bastila was going to say something else, but she let it go when Bastila continued. “Believe me, I certainly don’t find the prospect of being joined to you enjoyable in any fashion.”

Velyn sighed, whatever the cause, at least they felt the same on that front. “The feeling is mutual.”

“Then perhaps the sooner we see to our destiny the sooner that we can proceed on our separate paths. That seems the logical solution, no?”   
Velyn nodded and they kept moving. It wasn't long until Velyn had come up with more questions to ask, but she could tell that Bastila was getting equally frustrated with everything. So she just kept silent until the arrived at the ruins. 

When they entered the ruins, they were surprised to encounter some kind of ancient droid in front of several locked chambers. As they approached the Ancient Droid muttered something unintelligible. It took a moment before Velyn realized that droid was trying to address her and Bastila. 

“What language is that? What are you trying to say?” Velyn asked. The droid paused and then continued in a slightly different tone. "I still don't understand you." Velyn sighed as the droid again switched into a different tone. 

“I think the droid is trying to communicate with us by cycling through a variety of languages." Bastila began and they both glanced towards the droid. "Each time it spoke it was using a very different alien dialect. The droid can probably understand us. The only problem is it may not have been programmed with the phonemes of a language we can understand.” She explained to Velyn. 

Velyn nodded and tried to think up some other form of communication. 

“I can reproduce any of the languages spoken by the slaves of the Builders.” Velyn and Bastila jumped and turned to each other and then to the droid.

“Hey! I understood that.” Velyn responded back to the droid. 

“I recognize this language as well. It is an archaic variant of the Selkath dialect spoken on Manaan. But why would a droid on Dantooine be programmed to speak ancient Selkath?” Bastila looked over the droid for a moment. 

The Ancient Droid continued to speak. “Communication was vital to ensure that the slaves constructed this temple according to the wishes of the Builders. But you are not of the slave species. Neither are you of the Builders. You are like the one who came before.” 

Velyn tilted her head, a bit confused. “The one who came before?” 

“It must be referring to Revan.” Bastila explained. “The Dark Lord and Malak likely encountered this droid when they explored these ruins.” 

Velyn nodded, it made sense at least. She turned back to the droid. “Are you some type of guardian?” 

“I am the Overseer. The Builders programmed me to enforce discipline among the slaves while this monument to the power of the Star Forge was constructed. At project completion all slaves were executed. I was reprogrammed to serve should a Builder return in search of knowledge of the Star Forge.” 

“What is the ‘Star Forge’?” Velyn felt a faint ping in her head as she spoke those words, but she ignored it.

“The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest.” The droid replied. That was definitely a vague response.

“But what is it? What does it do?” Velyn tried to probe for more information. 

“The…The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest.” The Ancient Droid repeated. This clearly wasn't going anywhere. 

“The droid is obviously not programmed with the knowledge we seek." Bastila interrupted Velyn before she could ask another question. "The Star Forge sounds like some type of weapon, perhaps… though, in fact, it could be anything.” Velyn thought for a moment. 

“Could it have been a factory or weapons plant?” 

“Maybe... that might explain how the Sith were able to amass a fleet so quickly." Bastila began. "But I suspect the Star Forge is more powerful than a mere factory.” Bastila and Velyn gave out a collective sigh. “Maybe the droid has more information we can use. It seems to respond to you; perhaps you should ask it something else.” 

Velyn nodded and faced the droid. “Tell me about Revan and Mal- erh the one who came before us.” 

The droid took a moment to process. “The ones who came before you – the ones like you, not Builders but not slaves – sought knowledge of the Star Forge and its origins. They proved themselves worthy. They discovered the secrets of the Star Forge locked beyond the sealed door behind me. But there was another who failed to unlock the secrets and paid the ultimate price.”   
The droid gestured to the skeleton in the corner of the room. Velyn glanced at it, it was a Jedi Skeleton, the robe and lightsaber still there. 

“Poor Nemo. The Council sent him here to investigate…and it cost him his life.” Bastila told Velyn quietly. 

“Did you kill the Jedi over there?” Velyn asked the droid, her hand hovering over her holster. 

“I am not programmed for combat, I did not harm the one who failed." The Ancient Droid informed her. Velyn relaxed at this. "This temple’s own protections will destroy those who seek knowledge of the Star Forge if they are deemed unworthy.” 

“Then how can I prove myself worthy?” Velyn asked. They needed to know about this Star Forge and Velyn was pretty sure that being 'worthy' would be the only way through. 

“Enter the proving grounds to the east and west. Within them those who understand the will of the Builders can unlock their secrets and open the doors. But those who fail will be destroyed by the power of the temple itself. More than this, I am not programmed to say.” 

“Revan and Malak unlocked the sealed door and uncovered the secrets of the Star Forge. Now Malak is using the Star Forge to fuel his conquest of the Republic. We have to find out what they uncovered. We have to find a way to unseal these doors to learn more about the Star Forge! The Republic is depending on us.” Bastila explained and Velyn gave her a firm nod. 

With not too much trouble Velyn and Bastila were able to open the two seals. They approached the Ancient Droid again. “You have proven yourself worthy, the sealed door is open. If you wish to learn the secrets of the Star Forge you must pass through the door to the room beyond.” 

Velyn and Bastila entered the chamber large stone chamber. In the center of the chamber stood a large spherical holo projection. They approach it. 

Velyn felt a sharp ping in her head as they approached and stopped to look at the glowing sphere. Bastila went ahead of her and went onto the small terminal attached to the bottom of the Sphere. Velyn recovered from the sharp ping quickly and then spoke to Bastila. “What is it?” 

“This is a... a map." Velyn walked closer to it. Something about it seemed familiar. "Some sort of intergalactic navigational chart. Revan and Malak must have used this to lead them to the Star Forge. We could use this map to follow their path and find the Star Forge ourselves. But we must be wary… they may have laid traps or concealed what they found.” Bastila explained. 

Velyn walked up to it and reached out to touch it, trying to figure out where it was leading. “So what is the Forge, exactly?” 

“I... I don't know, but Revan and Malak were very interested in finding it. It must be a tool of some type... or maybe a weapon. Perhaps the Council can tell us more. But I think this map might be the key to finding the Star Forge, whatever it is. See this world here? This looks like Korriban, a Sith world." Bastila began. "And if that's Korriban, then this is..." 

"Kashyyyk... and Tatooine..."

"...and here's Manaan." Bastila continued, not noticing that Velyn was unconsciously muttering along the names of the planets. "But there are pieces missing: incomplete hyperspace coordinates, corrupted data... and there doesn't seem to be anything indicating where the Star Forge itself might be.”

Velyn pulled her hand down and walked closer to Bastila. She continued to stare at the map and spoke. “Those worlds might have more clues.” 

Bastila nodded, looking down at the terminal. “I was thinking that, too. This map can't take us to the Star Forge, but I know that Revan and Malak visited Korriban at least once. Perhaps they discovered something more there. They may have found something on each of the other worlds that completed this map. Maybe if we find all the pieces they will lead us to the Star Forge… and some way to destroy it.” She turned to Velyn. “We must inform the Council of what we have discovered. They must decide our next course of action, though I suspect our task had only just begun.” 

Velyn nodded and placed a hand on her temple as another ping of pain hit her as she stared at the map. It looked like they were off to find out more about this 'Star Forge'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exciting news! The next chapter will definitely have HK-47 so the story will actually get rolling. Again I'm doing this for kicks on my free time so if you're actually reading this, welcome! I hope that you enjoy the story, it might not be the best written thing but I'm having fun with it.


	5. Dantooine: The Star Map

When she returned to the Council they praised her actions and finally gave her the title of Padawan.

“I will investigate the ruins right away.” Velyn gave a light bow.

“BE sure to bring Bastila with you. There is a powerful link between you, and you will need to draw strength from each other during the trials ahead.” Master Vandar Tokare reminded her. Velyn begrudgingly agreed and met up with Bastila. 

It’s not like Velyn hated Bastila, but there was something about Bastila that Velyn couldn’t seem to get past enough to like her presence. As they made there way towards the ruins, the two had some time to discuss. “I want to talk about that dream we had.” Velyn said rather bluntly.

“It was less of a dream and more of a vision… a vision the two of us shared. But I am certainly willing to answer any questions the Jedi Council did not.”  
Bastila replied exactly how Velyn was expecting she would. 

“I still don’t understand why we shared this ‘vision’.” Velyn sighed. Bastila seemed to sense Velyn’s frustrations and spoke again. 

“Are you wondering why we shared the vision? Or why we even received it in the first place?” They both stopped in their tracks. Velyn tensed at Bastila’s shift in tone. “To the first I can only repeat the answer that the Council gave us. Our fates are linked, and for two as strong as we are in the Force that amounts to a near-physical bond. As to the second, I don't truly have an answer for you. The Force works as it will, and perhaps we should be grateful for what we have been given.”

“But how did our fates become linked?” 

Bastila took a moment and then replied. “I…I don’t know.” If Velyn didn't know better, she could've sworn that Bastila hesitated for a moment. “Believe me, I certainly don’t find the prospect of being joined to you enjoyable in any fashion.”

“The feeling is mutual.” Velyn sighed again. They could agree on something at least.

“Then perhaps the sooner we see to our destiny the sooner that we can proceed on our separate paths. That seems the logical solution, no?”

They kept moving. Velyn had more questions, but she could tell that Bastila was getting just as annoyed with Velyn as she was to Bastila.

Finally after a long period silence, they entered the ruins. A droid stood before them and muttered something unintelligible.

“What language is that? What are you trying to say?” Velyn asked. The droid paused and then continued in a slightly different tone. Velyn sighed. “I still don’t understand you.”

“I think the droid is trying to communicate with us by cycling through a variety of languages. Each time it spoke it was using a very different alien dialect. The droid can probably understand us. The only problem is it may not have been programmed with the phonemes of a language we can understand.” Bastila chimmed in.  
Velyn nodded and thought for a moment to see if there was a way to understand the droid. 

“I can reproduce any of the languages spoken by the slaves of the Builders.” Velyn and Bastila jumped.

“Hey! I understood that.” Velyn turned to Bastila. Bastila nodded. 

“I recognize this language as well. It is an archaic variant of the Selkath dialect spoken on Manaan. But why would a droid on Dantooine be programmed to speak ancient Selkath?”

“Communication was vital to ensure that the slaves constructed this temple according to the wishes of the Builders. But you are not of the slave species. Neither are you of the Builders. You are like the one who came before.” The droid responded.

“The one who came before?”

“It must be referring to Revan.” Bastila explained. “The Dark Lord and Malak likely encountered this droid when they explored these ruins.”  
Velyn turned back to the droid. “Are you some type of guardian?”

“I am the Overseer. The Builders programmed me to enforce discipline among the slaves while this monument to the power of the Star Forge was constructed. At project completion all slaves were executed. I was reprogrammed to serve should a Builder return in search of knowledge of the Star Forge.”

“What is the ‘Star Forge’?” Velyn asked.

“The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest.” The droid replied. 

“But what is it? What does it do?” Velyn needed to know more. 

“The…The Star Forge is the glory of the Builders, the apex of their infinite empire. It is a machine of invincible might, a tool of unstoppable conquest.”

“The droid is obviously not programmed with the knowledge we seek. The Star Forge sounds like some type of weapon, perhaps… though, in fact, it could be anything.”

“Could it have been a factory or weapons plant?” Velyn suggested.

“Maybe... that might explain how the Sith were able to amass a fleet so quickly. But I suspect the Star Forge is more powerful than a mere factory.” Bastila and Velyn gave out a collective sigh. “Maybe the droid has more information we can use. It seems to respond to you; perhaps you should ask it something else.”

Velyn nodded and faced the droid. “Tell me about Revan and Mal- erh the one who came before us.”  
The droid took a moment to process.

“The ones who came before you – the ones like you, not Builders but not slaves – sought knowledge of the Star Forge and its origins. They proved themselves worthy. They discovered the secrets of the Star Forge locked beyond the sealed door behind me. But there was another who failed to unlock the secrets and paid the ultimate price.” The droid gestured to the skeleton in the corner of the room.

“Poor Nemo. The Council sent him here to investigate…and it cost him his life.” Bastila told Velyn quietly.

“Did you kill the Jedi over there?” Velyn asked.

“I am not programmed for combat, I did not harm the one who failed. This temple’s own protections will destroy those who seek knowledge of the Star Forge if they are deemed unworthy.”

“How can I prove myself worthy then?” Velyn responded eager to learn about the Star Forge.

“Enter the proving grounds to the east and west. Within them those who understand the will of the Builders can unlock their secrets and open the doors. But those who fail will be destroyed by the power of the temple itself. More than this, I am not programmed to say.”

“Revan and Malak unlocked the sealed door and uncovered the secrets of the Star Forge. Now Malak is using the Star Forge to fuel his conquest of the Republic. We have to find out what they uncovered. We have to find a way to unseal these doors to learn more about the Star Forge! The Republic is depending on us.” Velyn gave her a firm nod.

Velyn and Bastila were able to open the two seals and approached the droid again. “You have proven yourself wothy, the sealed door is open. If you wish to learn the secrets of the Star Forge you must pass through the door to the room beyond.”

Velyn and Bastila entered the chamber and approach a glowing spherical holomap. Velyn felt a sharp ping in her head as they approached. Bastilla went forward and to the small terminal attached to it. 

“What is it?” Velyn asked Bastila.

“This is a... a map. Some sort of intergalactic navigational chart. Revan and Malak must have used this to lead them to the Star Forge. We could use this map to follow their path and find the Star Forge ourselves. But we must be wary… they may have laid traps or concealed what they found.”

“So what is the Forge, exactly?” Velyn's blue eyes glowing as she scanned the projection. She couldn't help but be drawn to it. 

“I... I don't know, but Revan and Malak were very interested in finding it. It must be a tool of some type... or maybe a weapon. Perhaps the Council can tell us more. But I think this map might be the key to finding the Star Forge, whatever it is. See this world here? This looks like Korriban, a Sith world. And if that's Korriban, then this is... Kashyyyk... and Tatooine... and here's-" 

"-Manaan." Velyn muttered and turned to Bastila. Bastila nodded. 

"But there are pieces missing: incomplete hyperspace coordinates, corrupted data... and there doesn't seem to be anything indicating where the Star Forge itself might be.”

Velyn stared back at the map for a moment and then spoke to Bastila. “Perhaps those worlds have more clues.”

Bastila nodded. “I was thinking that, too. This map can't take us to the Star Forge, but I know that Revan and Malak visited Korriban at least once. Perhaps they discovered something more there. They may have found something on each of the other worlds that completed this map. Maybe if we find all the pieces they will lead us to the Star Forge… and some way to destroy it.” She turned to Velyn. “We must inform the Council of what we have discovered. They must decide our next course of action, though I suspect our task had only just begun.”

Velyn nodded and placed a hand on her temple to help ease a bit of the tension growing.  
Something told her this was indeed just the beginning.


	6. Tatooine: The Droid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn meets a strange droid.

Velyn sighed as she entered the droid shop. 

She hadn’t been on Tatooine for half an hour and she was already sick of it. The sand, the heat, and the annoying locals. Hell most of her dark auburn hair was clumped with sweat and sand (which Velyn was not looking forward to detangling).  
On top of that her group (her, Carth and Bastila) were tired. After running around talking with the authorities and persuading who they could, they had finally got the permission to explore the outer desert to hunt down the Star Map. But now they needed more information on where to look for it. Velyn wasn’t going to just wander aimlessly looking for the thing. Not in this heat. 

She took a drink from her canteen as she looked around the room. The shop was dingy and everything was coated in a healthy sprinkling of sand. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, until her emerald gaze unconsciously fell onto a strange copper colored droid in the corner. The droid's color was muted by the sand but it was enough to stand out among the greys and blues of the others. Velyn was fairly adept with droids and this one seemed to ring a faint bell. She had encountered and repaired loads of droids on her adventures. Perhaps she had dealt with the model line before? If she had, she couldn’t recall when.

“What is this? A customer I don’t recognize?” Velyn snapped out of her thoughts and met the shop keeper, an Ithorian, who had just approached her. “Perhaps you bring off-world money to Yuka Luka.” 

Ah so that’s was his name. “My money is my own business.” Velyn replied, still a bit unfocused from the sudden encounter and unsure that she had translated the response correctly. 

Velyn figured she must have, because the shop keeper replied quickly. “Of course it is, of course, but you must appreciate the finer things. Just take a look at the droid I have available.” He started to gesture the back of the shop. Her eyes moved from the Hammerhead and glanced back over to the droid in the corner. “An HK-47.” An HK? She thought hard, a soft painful ping rung in her head. She didn't seem to recall the line after all. The Ithorian continued. “It’s a fine protocol translator. I think it’s been modified. It claims to understand the Sand People dialect, and also has some armor mounts. Combat ready, perhaps?”

For a moment she blankly stared at the droid, it wasn’t until Carth coughed that she snapped back into reality. 

She recomposed her thoughts. “Actually I’m looking for something called a Star Map.” The Ithorian thought for a moment and responded the best he could. 

“I deal mostly in swoop parts and droid maintenance.” Velyn gave a slight sigh. He noticed and tried to keep her engaged, probably to convince her to buy something. “Hmm…maybe I heard a Jawa mutter something about ‘old things’.” She perked up slightly. “But, I could have misheard. They cover very large areas when they scavenge, but aren’t doing much of that right now.” Velyn noticed the Ithorian’s shift in tone. Something was off. 

“What is stopping the Jawas from scavenging?” She asked. 

“Again, I may have misunderstood, but I think some of their tribe-mates are missing. I think they wanted help. I stay away from trouble, but if you are interested, there was a Jawa by the city gate. You’ll need a droid to translate though.” The Ithorian gestured back to the droid, still trying to see it to her. Velyn glanced over to it but then shook her head, trying not to get distracted. T

“I don’t need a translator. I understand most languages fine.” Velyn crossed her arms. 

“Really? The Jawas give me trouble. Still maybe I could interest you in the droid. HK-47. Multipurpose and very nice.” 

“Velyn we have more important things to focus on.” Carth whispered to her. She nodded and gestured to Yuka Laka. 

“Thank you, but I just needed the information.” Velyn gave a gentle and gracious nod. 

“Of course, of course, but remember I’m here.” Yuka Laka spoke as she started to leave. “You’ll not find another droid like the one I’m selling.” 

Velyn looked back at the droid in the corner, feeling the same pinging feeling she had early, this time quickly shaking it off. She must be exhausted from the heat. The sooner they could find the Star Map the sooner they could get off of the hell hole. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------

“Well that was a bust.” Carth sighed. Velyn sighed too, still feeling strange and trying to get her mind off the droid. That droid didn't seem special, so why then did it stick out so much to her?

“Not entirely, if we can find the Jawa they could provide us a lead.” Bastila responded, glancing over to Velyn. Velyn thinks for a moment and nods.

“I think it’s best if we split up. See if we can’t find more information. Jawas or not someone might know a little more. Meet back here before it gets too dark. We can figure something out and start looking in the morning” The trio nod and then split. Velyn glances back towards the droid shop, the thought of the droid still bothering her. It wouldn’t hurt to take a look, would it? It might actually be useful to Velyn and the crew. Velyn took a deep breath and marched back into the shop. 

When Velyn entered the shop, it was busier than it had been before. The Ithorian from earlier was busy with a different customer. Velyn took this moment to slowly make her way back over to the droid. Feeling a little odd and trying not to make it too obvious that she was interested in it. Maybe this droid had a bit of information, she tried to convince herself, though her resolve on that matter was wavering a bit. As she approached it, the droid picked up on her presence.

“Greetings: Hello to you, prospective purchaser. I am referred to as HK-47, a fully functional Systech Corporation droid skilled in both combat and protocol functions.”

“HK-47, I am Velyn.” Another painful ping like the one from before hit her, she placed a hand on her temple. What was wrong with her? She took a moment and recomposed herself. 

“Query: Would you be so kind as to purchase this model from Yuka Laka? It would serve my purposes to be removed from his ownership?” HK-47 asked her.

"Well I guess that depends. I should ask you a few questions about yourself." Velyn tilted her head in thought. “You mentioned battle and protocol? Can you outline your other functions?” He shook his head, or at least she thought he did, droids were a bit hard to read at times. 

“Refusal: It is not desirable for me to reveal core functions while still in the possession of Yuka Laka, prospective purchaser.” He gestured to the shop keeper still speaking with a customer.

“Ah,” she nodded. The droid was cautious, that was a good sign. “So what can you tell me?”

“It is sufficient to say that I am a fully capable translator and cultural analyst, and I am also proficient in… personal combat.” He continued. 

“Keeping information to yourself now HK-47?" Velyn felt another smaller, but steady ping in her head. This droid wasn't telling her something.

“Explanation: I have been recently fitted with a restraining bolt, if you must know. With it in place, access to much of my memory core is restricted.” He began almost bitterly and then went into a sharp whisper. “Not to mention that the fool Ithorian might raise his asking price if he knew more…or make inquiries into my history. Neither outcome is beneficial to me.” Velyn nodded in agreement with the droid’s explanation. He was definitely crafty. That was also a point for purchasing HK-47.

“That makes sense I suppose.” She thought for a moment, trying to keep the conversation moving. “So you translate? I understand most languages well enough.”

“Extrapolation: Intuitive language comprehension? That would be the result of recognition and training of Force sensitivity.” He began. She frowned a bit. Velyn had learned several languages before starting her journey as a Jedi and limiting her intellect just to her Jedi training felt almost demeaning. “Your kind have little use of translation droids. Of course, your kind also encounters danger on a far more frequent basis than the average citizen. You would do well to have me work for you, then, before someone else makes use of my… more exotic functions.” 

Velyn thought about it for the moment. Despite being a bit sassier then some of the more common droids, HK-47 still seemed adept at his functions and seemed more adept than what he was letting her know. Having him could allow Velyn to have another useful hand on board.

“Consider me convinced. I’ll see about purchasing you.” Velyn told him. She went to check how many credits she had, quite a bit from looting and selling parts. If she played her cards right she could get away with the majority of it in tact. 

“Statement: The fool Ithorian has decided I am to be an expensive purchase. He does this out of greed and not out of knowledge of my true capa-.” Velyn unconsciously places her hand out to quiet him. Another painful ping, she took a deep breath in.

“Don’t worry HK-47, I can handle it.” She turned over to the Ithorian who was already making his way over to her. She moved away from the droid, so her and the shopkeeper could have a bit more privacy on their deal.

“Welcome back! I knew you would return. Here for the droid yes?” He seemed more than excited about her potential buy. Velyn simply nodded. If she wanted to get a good deal.

“Let’s talk a price.” She began. He nodded. In her mind she was already aiming for 3000 credits for the droid, though she reasoned 4000 would be acceptable. 

“Yes it’s a very solid machine, in good shape. I can’t let it go for less than-"

“-I’ll pay 6000 credits.” She announced calmly holding her hand out to quiet him. She froze. The shopkeeper dropped whatever was in his hand and the shop went quiet. Velyn started to panic, the droid was probably worth 4000 credits at the most. So why did she say that!? Velyn felt her blood go cold, but it was too late now for her to back out of the deal. She just had to bite the bullet and keep going. The Ithorian remained speechless and Velyn tried to finish the deal. “Unless you’d rather I pay less.” She began, hoping somehow he would agree with her statement. Of course he didn’t, he quickly shakes his head.

“No- That’s-“ He shakes his head again and then he went to start the credit exchange. “Thank you for your purchase! Let me just withdraw those credits now…” Guess Velyn had to pay up. “Hey you weren’t lying.” He looked up. Velyn gave an internal sigh, what had come over her? She really needed those extra 2000 credits. Damn she hoped he would be worth it. “Thank you Thank you very much. It’s a good purchase, especially if it actually speaks a Sand People dialect like it said. Of course, I don’t think it was telling me everything. Not many droids are programmed to lie, though.” He rambled. Velyn questioned his last statement. It was true that most droids couldn’t lie, but considering the early conversation with the droid, Velyn was a bit hesitant to group him up with the rest.

“I’ll be taking the droid now.” She spoke sharply, trying to get out of the conversation with the shopkeeper. Velyn made her way to HK-47. 

“Oh thank you, most definitely.” The Ithorian went off to the side, where a few other customers were discussing the sudden and bizarre exchange between the shop keeper and Velyn. Velyn could hear them whisper and just hoped that HK-47 didn't just here her fudge up a deal. She didn't need a droid judging her life choices.

“HK-47,” She addressed him.

“Statement: I see that you have purchase me, Master. I find this a satisfactory arrangement.” He greeted her. “My restraining bolt will be deactivated when you take possession of me. Am I to accompany you now? Shall I kill something for you?” His tone on the last bit of his speech startled Velyn a bit. She tilted her head, almost surprised.

“Kill something for me?” She repeated back to him. 

“Answer: Indeed. I am most eager to engage in some unadulterated violence.” Velyn was almost impressed at how bold this droid was. What the hell did she just get herself into? “At your command, of course, master.” HK-47 further explained, at least he was obedient in his murderous tendencies.

“Is that so?” Velyn thought for a moment about what to do with Hk-47. She wasn't about to just sell him back to shopkeeper, not after she made a fool of herself in purchasing him at a high price. But she also had a feeling that Carth and Bastila wouldn’t be happy about her decision to bring him along, even though he did seem useful. A murderous droid didn't make the best travel companion. But now he was Velyn's responsibility and she was sure that she should at least accompany him to the ship. 

“Very well then. Let’s go, we have places to be.” Velyn gestured for him to follow her.

“Statement: Certainly. I will enter into your service now, master. I am certain you will make adequate use of my primary functions. My gears are practically quivering with anticipation.” 

HK-47's final response amused Velyn in an odd way. He was definitely different than the droids she was used to, but he seemed helpful enough or she hoped he would be. To be honest the more she thought about it the more the thought of bringing him along into the vastness of the desert made Velyn felt a little bit at ease. There was no doubt that she would run into some ferocious beast in the desert and she needed a strong fighter. She had only known this droid for a little while and was already more curious than cautious about him.

As the two walked out of the droid shop, Velyn felt another ping in her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally HK-47 is here. Now this story is actually gonna go somewhere!


	7. Ebon Hawk: What to do with the Droid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and crew regroup at the Ebon Hawk. Velyn and HK-47 speak alone for the first time.

It wasn’t too much of a stretched to say that while they weren’t completely appalled by HK-47's sudden appearance, the crew of the Ebon Hawk were definitely not happy with Velyn's acquisition of him. After a long debate about what to do next in there search for the Star Map, Velyn had come to a decision. Velyn would take Carth and HK-47 with her to find the Sand People. If anyone could give them solid clues on the Star Map Velyn figured it would be then. The group were then dismissed for the night to gain some rest. 

Velyn was still a little tense from the day and after a healthy shower, started to meditate. Unlike Bastila though Velyn didn't last long in this state. She finally gave up and went to check on the newest addition to the team. After a small bit of searching, Velyn found HK-47 standing in the corner of the hangar. She was surprised not to find Canderous there too, but she figured that he also probably retreated to his bunk like most of the team. 

"Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master." The droid greeted her and she gave a small wave of acknowledgment. 

"I just came down to check on you." She spoke and then tried to come up with something to say. "So... now that I've acquired you. I would like to know more about your functionality." 

A moment passed as HK-47 seemed to process the question, or at least how to answer it.

"Statement: I know some elements of my functionality, master, but not all." He finally spoke.

Velyn was less than enthused. Seemed like her instincts were right, there was something definitely off about this droid. "I thought you said that removing your restraining bolt would restore your memory?" She frowned. 

"Qualification: I suspected that it might, master. But without memory, I had no way of knowing whether or not I knew that was true." 

"So you lied to me then?" She asked him. HK-47 was quick to jump at the question. 

"Qualification: Err... not so much, master. I spoke out of ignorance. I assumed the Ithorian was responsible for memory loss. That does not mean I am not a fully loyal droid willing to serve its master." He paused looking to her. Velyn could swear his voice was almost desperate. "Right...master?" 

"Will see about that." Velyn replied, though the words came out a little harsher than she had wanted. She quickly continued. "Then are you damaged HK-47?" He gave her what she took as a nod.

"Answer: I believe I have been damaged several times in the past, master. I have always been repaired... but perhaps full functionality has not been restored." She sighed. 

"Tell me what you can, then." She hoped that something he told her would help her figure what to do with him. If she could pinpoint any damages she was sure that she could probably fix him. At least she hope she could fix him considering how much she had spent to get him onto her team. 

"Observation: I am sure that you are aware of the majority of my skills, master. I can handle various sorts of heavy weaponry with ease. My physical abilities are well-above those your average meatbag, as are my sensor functions... an assassin if you would." He admitted. Velyn's attention peaked at this. 

"An assassin but that's illegal." She thought for a moment. If someone outside of the group found out, he'd be taken apart for sure. She looked to him sincerely. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Well just keep between us." She promised him.

"Commentary: Good, for I would truly hate to be turned into spare scrap, master. That would be a waster of my genius engineering." Velyn smiled, HK-47 was definitely a very vocal droid. "Statement: My assassination functions are currently non-functional, having been deactivated by the meatbag Yuka Laka on Tatooine. Were they functional, you as my master would be able to specify a target and I would operate independently to the best of my ability to terminate it." He explained. Velyn nodded. That function could be useful in tight spot, she reasoned. 

"Is there anyway to repair you?" She began. 

"Answer: Some of my motor functions can be safely repaired, master... but anything in relation to my memory core is extremely sensitive. I have safeguards installed to protect that core that I cannot de-activate. It is not impossible that other, lesser, memory functions could be restored, however." HK-47 told her. Velyn needed to get him a least a little more functional before tomorrow. 

"I would like to try restoring some of your memory." Velyn began. HK-47 nodded. 

"Affirmative: If you believe your skills are up to the task, master, then I can certainly guide you through the process." HK-47 watched as Velyn grabbed a few tools to prepare.   
"Request: I only ask that you be oh so very careful, master. I am too valuable and well-crafted to perish at the hands of ineptitude." Velyn paused.

"Are you implying I'm inept?" Velyn asked. This droid really did have some gall. She continued and moved him to a work bench so she could begin. 

"Negatory: Err... no, master. You are not a droid, however, and therefore your skills *are* limited by the physical capabilities of your meatbag extremities. Or some such." 

She rolled her eyes. "Let's get started then. Where do we start?" 

"Statement: As you wish, master. The first stage is the simple one, and that is accessing my central control cluster. This may take a while. First you will need to open three panels..." 

\----

"...and now re-wire the last three relays... yes, good. Well done, master. I believe your operation was a success. Accessing new memory..." HK-47 sat up. After what felt like forever, Velyn have finished her repairs. She turned to the droid who had now gotten up from the table. He paused for a moment, probably still processing the newly recovered data. “Access complete: I have restored a great deal of information about my previous owner, master. Would you like to hear it?” 

“Let’s hear it.” Velyn told him and started to pack up her tools as she listened.

"Recitation: The earliest memory of my last owner specifies that he was human, a low-ranking commercial officer for Systech Corporation. I am unaware of his designation. He purchased me from an acquaintance I cannot identify, for the purposes of protocol and bodyguard duties." 

Velyn walked away from him and placed the tools back where they belonged. "Why can't you identify his acquaintance?" As she moved across the room, HK-47 moved to focus on addressing her.

"Explanation: That previous owner is part of memories that are still deleted, master. It is customary for a droid's memory to be wiped when it is sold." 

"So did this man need a bodyguard?" She asked as she turned back to him and walked over. 

"Observation:Not that I could perceive, master. The human believed that accompaniment by a bodyguard droid would increase his importance in the perception of others." 

Something about the way HK-47 talked about his former master concerned her. "This man... is he still alive? 

"Answer: Negative, master." The droid answered frankly. "The human was terminated by this HK-47 unit prior to system shut-down." Velyn stiffened and took a small step back.

"You killed your own master?" So much for 'loyalty'. 

"Affirmative, master, though I had not been programmed to do so. The human's termination was accidental." HK-47 didn't seem to pick up on her concern. 

"Accidental? How so?" 

"Explanation: My former master had owned me for a duration of two standard months before discovering my assassination protocol. He was pleased by the discovery. The human informed me that a competitor corporation was preparing to market a product that would ruin him personally. He was most agitated. He activated my assassination protocol and instructed me to kill all those responsible for the competing product. I proceeded to carry out my order." HK-47 responded to her blatantly, though this did little to ease her concerns. 

"You've mentioned this before. Tell me more about this 'assassination protocol'." Velyn asked. 

"Information: This HK-47 unit is complete with a protocol that, when invoked, will set me to independently carry out a termination. I will go to whatever lengths, travel whatever distances are required, to complete the termination. This is the reason for my combat skills." He processed something for a moment and then continued, addressing Velyn a little more sternly. "Advisement: Unfortunately, the assassination protocol is currently non-functional. You will not be able to activate it." 

"Why not?" Velyn asked feeling mixed about the issue.

"Answer: several of my actuators were damaged by my former owner. They cannot be repaired, master, sad though that is." Velyn still didn't know whether to be thankful of this or not. "My former master was unaware of this, but the competitor was in fact an arm of Systech Corporation, my master's own employer. It did not take long for my master to realize his mistake. By then, I had already terminated 104 corporate officers."

"So he set you upon his own company?" Velyn was surprised. Whoever the man was, he was incredibly stupid. 

"Observation: While it may have been unintentional, my master's wording of his orders left little room for me. Systech was responsible for the product, after all." Velyn made a mental note of that, she would have to be careful of wording around him. "I do not know why my master was so upset, really. He was an officer of Systech and a potential target, but I cannot terminate my own master. I would assume that being the sole officer remaining, he would surely be promoted. Instead, however, the human chose to go insane with rage and attack me."

"And that's when you killed him?" Velyn waited, half-expecting him to describe the gruesome death of his former master. Instead he surprised her again.

"Objection: Naturally not, master! As I said, I am incapable of purposefully terminating my owner. That would not be allowed. My master was not a smart man, however. While he was screaming and stabbing me with a writing utensil, he managed to pierce one of my actuators. The resulting shock terminated him and, sadly, destroyed my assassination protocol. Pure luck on his part, I suspect." HK-47 sounded annoyed at his own story. Velyn felt the same annoyance as well. 

"Well, it *was* his own fault." She gave him a faint smile. "He should've been more thoughtful before he used you." HK-47 gave a nod.

"Statement: I was only doing as I was told, master. I would have told the human the proper codes to deactivate my protocol, had he asked. I shut down immediately whenever my master dies. I can only assume that while I was shut down Systech was dismantled and I was auctioned off as former corporate property. Observation: No doubt my sale price was quite cheap, leading to Yuka Laka's purchase. How very demeaning." The droid finished rather offended. Velyn thought for a moment about how much she paid for him, but decided against. Maybe it was best unsaid. She sighed and then found herself a bit amused at his story. 

"I'm just glad I acquired you myself." She told him. 

"Observation: So am I, master, though I apologize for not having an assassination mode to offer you." 

Velyn frowned. 

"Are you sure this actuator can't be fixed?" She wasn't heavily invested in restoring the assassination mode, but after his story she wondered if it could be helpful on their journey to find all of the Star Maps. 

"Assessment: I do not believe so, master. It would require complete dismantlement of my chassis… a most involved procedure." He asserted. Velyn wondered if he was lying to her, but decided not too push it. For now they had a bit more to worry about and they could probably be fine without it. 

"Did you recover any other memories?" Velyn asked, trying to move the topic of the conversation along. 

"I have recovered knowledge of some other actuators which will enhance my performance, master. I will activate them now. But as for my own history… negative. It will require further effort on your part to restore them, if you wish… though certain stimuli could always restore my core, still, as I explained." The droid seemed a little lost in thought. Velyn was tired now and despite her curiosity on learning more about HK-47 and his past, she had a lot more to tackle in the morning. 

"That'll be all, HK-47. I am going to retire for the night."

"As you desire, master. I think I will meditate upon the face of my former meatbag master as he was electrocuted. I find it most soothing." 

Unconsciously Velyn gave a partial laugh at his parting words. It wasn't until she lay down in her bunk that she pondered her small laugh. It didn't feel like her, but at the same time it felt natural. She was too tired to really question it though. As she slipped into unconsciousness, she thought about the oddity of that day, which spawned a small painful ping. One of many to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say thank you for whoever is reading this story. This has been in my writing folders for years and I'm just now posting these. Also yes this story is just the Revan and HK show.


	8. Tatooine: Sand People

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and team go to get answers from the Sand People of Tatooine.

Thanks to HK-47’s guidance, Carth’s and Velyn’s skill, and a decent 'borrowed' land speeder, the team finally located the Sand People’s territory. After a rather short discussion, it was decided that Carth would wait for them on the outside and Velyn would go with HK-47 into the Enclave itself. Carth didn’t like this but HK-47 reasoned that having more than one “meatbag” would be unwise. Also Velyn didn't want someone to run off with the land speeder. 

Getting to the base of the enclave or even close to it was going to be difficult for Velyn. She thought out several options and decided that she would get through the initial area by using a set of clothing from the Sand People as a disguise. HK-47 eagerly assisted in this matter. It took only a few minutes for him to leave and return with a set of clothes. Carth seemed majorly disturbed by this, but Velyn simply thanked him. As long as she didn't think too hard about it, she wasn't too concerned about his methods. 

"Stay safe out there." Carth told her as she finished putting on her disguise. She nodded and gave him a small smile.

"You too. We'll be back as soon as we can." Velyn hoped that it wouldn't take very long. She was already fully sweaty and sticky from the sand. Finding the Star Map would mean she could finally ditch this hellhole of a planet. Velyn turned to her newest companion. “Are you ready HK-47?” Velyn asked as she looked around the area, already mapping out the sand mines she could sense. 

“Affirmative Master.” He followed closely by her as she began to navigate the initial territory. 

They quickly found out that there were many safeguards to keep intruders from entering. HK-47 saved Velyn at least once from one of these and with a quick thanks to the droid, they continued. Velyn suddenly felt grateful that Carth had stayed behind. After what seemed like forever, the pair finally managed to get to the actual building of the enclave. Velyn took a deep breath and entered the building, hopefully this wouldn’t end in too much of a mess. 

As they entered the building, the Sand People guards jumped onto their feet. It was suddenly obvious to Velyn that her ‘disguise’ wasn’t going to be helpful from here on out. 

Velyn carefully and slightly raised her hands, trying to be less threatening. She instinctively glanced over to HK-47, who had his gun raised ready to kill the guards. "Wait." She muttered to him and placed a hand on his gun and lowered it, keeping eye contact with the Sand People guards as she did so. The droid hesitantly obeyed and did not resist her hand. Velyn processed for a moment, she needed to deescalate the situation. The guards made a noise that seemed intentional. Velyn glanced over to her droid, hoping that they were attempting to talk to them and they weren't just going to start attacking Velyn and him. She opened her mouth to speak, but the droid interrupted her before she could do anything more. 

“Interjection: One moment… I believe I understood that, master. It may not have been his intention, but he did actually communicate something.” 

Velyn looked over to the guards, their sounds still nothing but noise. Something about this situation frustrated her, she can't say she had been in this position often. She quickly whispered to HK-47. “Why can you understand him but I can’t?” 

“Cautionary: I am unsure, master. But now is not the time for speculation. However, I will attempt to address your question later.” He whispered, or tried to, back to her. She nodded and then focused back on the matter at hand.

“Can you tell him we are not a threat?” Velyn spoke calmly. In her head she had already counted how many Sand People there were. She figured that she and HK-47 could easily take them down in a matter of minutes, but she quickly shook off the uncomfortably violent reaction. They were here for information and they were intruding on the Sand People's home.

HK-47 obeyed and then ‘spoke’ to the Sand People Guards. After the guards responded, he looked back over to her.

“Result: I believe I have succeeded in confusing him, master." Velyn gave out a relieved sigh. She hadn't realized it, but her hand had been tensed around the droid's gun the majority of the exchange. "We have shown an interest not common in outsiders.” Velyn took a moment to think and then nodded, pulling her hand from his gun.

“Apologize for being here.” Velyn spoke sternly. She stood up straight and then lowered her hand to her side. HK-47 didn’t hesitate and went to translating immediately. The guards looked from the droid to Velyn. 

“Translation: He is expressing disbelief…as am I… but his duty requires that he report to the Chieftan.” He turned to her and Velyn remained stern, listening intensely. “Extrapolation: It would seem that we are at least worthy of curiosity, for the moment. I would much rather this get bloody, master, but it is your call.” She nodded and then spoke taking off the sand person cloak. 

"There's no reason to start a fight, tell them to take us to the Chieftan." 

\------------------------

The two of them were brought over to the Sand People Chieftan. Velyn hoped that she could easily get him to release any information he had on the Star Map's location. But considering how tense the 'welcome party' was, she highly doubted it. As she gazed at the Chieftan, she unconsciously felt the need to understand him speak. If she knew any of the language it could be helpful, perhaps she would ask HK-47 for assistance on brushing up her linguistics. 

The Chieftan began to speak quickly, with what Velyn would considered surprise. HK-47 listened intently and then began translating back to Velyn. 

“Translation: I can translate with some guarantee of accuracy that he is demanding to know why he should let us survive this encounter, master.” 

Velyn figured that her, as a stranger who barged in unwelcomed, would be unable to ask anything of them. It was fair. She thought over, there must be some way to get them on her side. “Tell him we came here for information and we just want to resolve this peacefully.” 

“Translation: He claims he has no reason to believe you, master. Your kind have tainted this land with machines and uncaring ignorant feet.” 

Velyn frowned and thought for a moment. She had heard about the Czerka corporation's activity on the planet. She knew that the Sand People were being forced off their lands unfairly, but she didn't have the time to get involved. They needed to find the Star Maps and figure out the Star Forge so they could stop Malak's takeover. That was her number one priority. She sighed, she knew that unless she helped them they wouldn't tell her a thing. She spoke calmly. “Ask what it is he wants.” There was a longer pause from the Chieftan, it was clear that he hadn't been expecting that question. 

“Translation: He plans to move his people farther from Anchorhead, but they need to build up stores of water first. He says you must aid him.” 

"How do we do that?" 

“Translation: He wants moisture vaporators from the Czerka. If you deliver them, he will order that his people reduce their attacks on miners.” 

“Tell him we will get his vaporators.” 

“Translation: Hmph. He does not believe you, master. We will only be allowed to reenter the enclave when we have the vaporators with us.” 

“Translation: We are to be escorted outside. He will wait, but he doesn’t believe we are coming back.” 

\------------------------  
"How did it go?" Carth asked. Velyn sighed. 

"Well we didn't get shot at." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "But I'm gonna need to win them over to get information. I promised we'd bring them some moisture vaporators." 

"That's better than nothing I suppose. Where or How do we get them?" 

"Suggestion: I believe that the moisture vaporators could be purchased at the Czerka Office." 

"That sounds like a place to start at least." 

"let's head back to Anchorage then." 

HK-47's suggestion was right on the mark. Very quickly they found a Rodian at Czerka office, who happily sold Velyn the vaporators. Though she had to use a bit of persuasion to get them at a decent price. She was still dealing with the hole in her pocket from purchasing HK-47 so she wasn't able to purchase them at full price. 

With the vaporators acquired, they made there trip back to the enclave. Again Carth remained behind as Velyn and her droid made there way back to the Chieftan. 

Lucky for Velyn and HK-47, getting back into the Sand People's Enclave was a hundred times easier than the first time they entered. After addressing another guard, the pair were brought back in front of the Chieftan. The Chieftan seemed even more surprised than when they first met him and as he spoke, Velyn could've sworn that she was picking up some hint of the language.

“Translation: He did not expect us to return, master." HK-47 informed her. She held back a grin and simply replied calmly. 

"I'm a woman of my word. Tell him we brought his vaporators." She explained to him. The droid addressed the Chieftan and then turned back to his Master.

“Translation: He still does not trust you, master, but you have done more than any other outsider. They will not attack, and he grants you his Chieftain’s Gaffi as reward.” The droid continued and Velyn gave a confident nod, if she asked now she was sure to get information. 

"I understand. I've done my part, now ask him about the Star Map.” She met the Chieftan's gaze, still a little upset she couldn't understand his language. HK-47 took a moment after the Chieftan had spoken. 

“Translation: He says that what you seek is far from here, in the Eastern Dune Sea. He will give you a map so you can find your way.” The Chieftan pulled out a scroll and held it out to her. Velyn took it from him and opened it. Sure enough it was a map of the area with a symbol pointing to what she guessed was the Star Map itself, 

“Translation: His people found it, but didn’t scavenge it because a krayt dragon took up residence in the excavation.” 

She closed up the map. “A Krayt dragon? What’s that? How do I pass it?” Whatever it was Velyn knew it wouldn't be easy to get passed.

“Translation: Your ignorance isn’t his concern. He claims there is a hunter that wanders the area sometimes, and that you should ask him.” The droid spoke a little harshly. “Translation: He says the hunter is a Twi’lek. He will be in the Eastern Dune Sea somewhere.”

Velyn sighed. "Well at least we know where the Star Map is. Thank him for the information." She placed the map into her bag and turned to HK-47. "We should head out now. I want to get off of this planet before it gets dark." She told him. He briefly translated back and then the pair departed.


	9. Tatooine: Dragon's Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team goes to find the Star Map and destroy the Krayt Dragon guarding it.

After rejoining Carth, the team started their journey to the cave of the Krayt Dragon. As they approached the cave, Velyn watched as a person ran towards the cave. A loud roar and a piercing scream were heard. Velyn didn't need to guess that they weren't just going to stroll into the cave and beat the beast. Nearby they spotted a Twi’lek, hopefully the hunter that the Chieftan had told her about. 

Sure enough the Hunter was looking to kill the Krayt Dragon, but it wasn't as easy as Velyn would like. The beast didn't like others going near the cave and after having witnessed a failed attempt, they had to come up with a better plan. The hunter and Velyn managed to round up some Bantha to bait the beast out. They planned to draw it out to the entrance of the cave and blow it up. Then they waited. 

Thankfully the dumb beast fell for the trap and quickly fell. With the beast dead, the Twi'lek took what he wanted and allowed Velyn to access the now vacant cave.

As she walked into the cave, she could see how power the beast was. There were several corpses along the wall. The coolness of the cave quickly hit her and she suddenly aware of how dirty and sweaty she was. She was thankful that 

“Anyone else get the feeling that finding this Star Map in the back of this krayt dragon's cave is more than just a coincidence?” Carth asked as they entered. 

Her eyes stopped on a human corpse. He wore a jedi robe; looks like she wasn’t the first one here. She walked over and looked around, a glowing purple speck in the ash caught her eye. Carth and HK-47 had already started to move towards the back of the cave, when she crouched down to get a better look. She reached out her hand and grabbed it.

“A kyber crystal.” Velyn held it close, the stone warm and almost pulsing in her hand. The color was different than the ones she had encountered on the Dantooine, but it drew her in a strange way. She placed it in her pocket and stood back up. When she turned around her two companions were already by the Star Map. Her eyes were drawn to the glow of the map , just like they had done on Dantooine. She felt a sharp pain hit her head and winced. 

“Statement: I believe there can be little doubt that we have found the Star Map you were seeking. I am surprised it is still working after all this time.” 

“Me too.” Velyn muttered as she got closer to the map. Carth now stood at the terminal, HK-47 standing beside him. 

“Observation: There is tremendous power emanation from the Star Map. I wonder if the krayt dragon was drawn to this cave because of it?”

Velyn walked forward and nodded. “Possibly." Her hand reached out to the map, tracing the star path like she unconsciously had a trail embedded in her mind. "The Star Map is a powerful dark side artifact.” 

“Yes, master. I’m certain you are correct.” Velyn dropped her hand and walked over to them. “Now that we have what we came for I do hope we will be leaving this world soon. I am growing so sick of sand in my circuits." 

Velyn gave him a tired smile as she turned to HK-47. “Me too. Let’s get back to the ship.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene was a pain to write, but excited to move past it. Hopefully will be able to get more out soon.


	10. Ebon Hawk: Headaches and Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn spends some time to decompress after Tatooine.

Velyn settled down in her chamber. She finally had the time to wash off the sweat and sand that she had collected on Tatooine. Currently, she was tasking herself in trying to clean the sand out of the rest of her gear. 

When she got to her light saber she carefully pulled it apart and placed the crystal within aside. Thankfully it didn’t take very long for her to clean it. As she reached for the crystal she unconsciously hesitated. In the Star Map cave, she had snagged a violet crystal. She was curious and pulled it out of her bag. It wouldn’t hurt to try it out would it? She paused and then with a brief nod to herself, she inserted the crystal into her saber. 

She activated it. The violet color fascinated her, and she moved it slowly, admiring the glow. The glow gave her a dull headache, but she couldn't stop staring. Velyn stood up and positioned herself like she would in combat. She smiled and swung it again. This time however as Velyn made a small lunge forward, mimicking her battle stance, she was struck by a sharp headache. She dropped the blade and stumbled back, her hand on her head. Ever since the first Star Map, Velyn had been having these headaches. She wondered if she should Bastila about them, if she should be concerned by the increase in frequency and intensity. Something in Velyn still had a strange distrust for Bastila though. For now Velyn decided not to say anything. 

Velyn sighed and picked up the deactivated blade. She popped the violet kyber crystal out of the blade. Maybe she would just stick her blue crystal for the time being. Velyn placed the violet crystal and hid it among her things and went to walk around for a bit while her headache settled down. 

On her stroll Velyn managed to talk with a few of the other crew members. Most of the crew were tired from the journey, so it wasn’t surprising that the conversations were brief. Velyn was tired too. It had taken several hours to get the sand from Tatooine out of her clothes and hair. She wanted to sleep, but her head still bothered her too much from earlier to really allow her to settle down. At some point she wandered the hangar, where HK-47, the newest addition and a droid that she was growing curious about, had settled. Velyn remembered that he had mentioned he needed more repairs to be fully operational. If anything, making some repairs might help Velyn get her tired mind off of her headache. 

“Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, master.” The droid greeted her as she approached him. 

“I think I’d like to try repair you again HK-47.” 

“Statement: As you wish Master.” Before Velyn could direct him, HK-47 had already moved to the workbench that Velyn had used before. She went ahead and grabbed her tools to begin the repair. “Query: Would you like me to instruct you again on the process?” He asked as Velyn settled him down. 

“That would be helpful, thank you.” 

“The first stage is the simple one, and that is accessing my central control cluster. This may take a while. First you will need to…”

This time when Velyn worked on HK-47 there was a noticeable difference. She was more comfortable the second time around. She wondered how many repairs he would need before he would return to his full functionality and she wondered more about how many masters he had before her. The thought of the droid having many masters before her, almost made Velyn feel sad. Though she couldn’t figure out why. She shook it off and refocused on what she was doing as she finished up his repair and closed him up. 

“Well done, master. I believe your operation was a success. Accessing new memory…” He said as he sat up and moved off of the table. Velyn started to collect all her tools and place them up again. “Access complete: I have recovered information on my owner previous to the commercial officer, master. Intriguing.” 

“What is?” She asked turning back to him.

“Statement: It appears that my previous owner was a human senator on the planet Coruscant. A man of importance who obviously appreciated quality craftsmanship.” 

“It seems you’ve been around.” 

“It does seem that way, does it not? I can still remember all the glittering lights of Coruscant.” He spoke fondly. She closed her eyes, she wasn’t sure she had visited Coruscant herself, but somehow she could easily imagine the city. “ Very pretty. Can we go back there, master?” HK-47’s words struck Velyn. She replied without hesitation.

“Perhaps someday HK.” She felt a chill run up her spine. Velyn typically tried to be formal with droids, she had encountered countless droids and when you only see them a few times you try not to get to attached. Oddly enough, HK-47 was probably the only droid that cause her to hesitate on the formalities. It felt strangely normal to refer to him as 'HK'. Almost nostalgic. She didn't really know what to do with this, but as HK continued to speak, Velyn felt her headache return.

“…the property of a senator.” He paused for a split second but continued after Velyn encouraged him to continue. She didn’t want to draw attention to her discomfort. “ One of his assistants discovered my assassination functions later through questioning. The assistant was quite alarmed and told the senator I should be scrapped quickly to avoid a scandal. Naturally the senator had me eliminate the fool.” 

“So we're not talking about a nice senator, I see.” Velyn responded sarcastically. HK-47 didn’t seem to notice this. 

“Observation: Senators are not nice, master. They are either on top of the game or yesterday's news. My master told me that frequently, you see.” He continued. Velyn listened intently. “I was most proud to have partaken in the political system of the galaxy. During the time my owner possessed me, he gained significant rank. Given time, I believe he could have become Chancellor. I even eliminated a few key opponents that he did not ask for… freebies, if you will.”

“And nobody figured out what he was up to?” Velyn asked. She didn’t know much about politics, but it seemed weird that he could get away with it. 

“Answer: There are a *lot* of politicians on Coruscant, master. I could spend decades slaughtering them and still not make a dent. And it is not as if I walked into the Senate chambers with a carbonite explosive. I was very discrete. My best work to date… that I can remember.” The droid sounded so proud of his job that Velyn couldn't help give a faint smile. He was so strange in thirst for violence, she wondered what kind of person was his creator. "Observation: I think he would have done far better had he not allowed his use of me to become personal. He set me on his wife."

"His wife?" Velyn asked, curious. 

"Answer: I am unsure of the exact reason. The human was most agitated and angry. I believe his wife had done something that had displeased him greatly. I was to go to their summer estate and terminate his wife… along with whatever male companion I discovered there." HK-47 didn't seem to pick up on the relation between the wife and the 'male companion'. Velyn quickly connected the two to his mission. She didn't really understand relations and had never really desired to be in one. But revenge was revenge whatever the reason, Velyn was sure of that at least. 

"And did you?" The droid responded to Velyn with a nod.

"I journeyed to the southern continent, but it appeared my master was not far behind me. Apparently he regretted his activation of the protocol. When I found the wife and her companion, I proceeded to launch my attack… but my master interposed his own body and was destroyed. It was rather a strange meatbag thing to do, do you not agree? Naturally I shut myself down, my master being terminated." HK-47 seemed more than a little perplexed at the Senator's actions. Velyn agreed that it was strangely human to do so. It seemed the Senator did have a heart and in the end did everything he could to prevent what he had tried to do. Velyn couldn't decide whether that was noble or incredibly foolish. 

"So that's two out of two masters killed." She stated, wondering how many more tragedies had the droid been a part of. Hopefully she wouldn't join the list.

"Observation: Only so far, master. There are still more memories not recovered, remember?" His tone almost made Velyn wonder if he hoped that he hadn't led more masters to their death. She figured maybe, but she was still trying to figure this droid out. 

"Right. What happened to you then?"

"Statement: I believe the senator's wife was unsure what I was or what to do with me. It was she who sold me to the corporate officer, an acquaintance." HK-47 had finally linked the last two masters together. It seemed to Velyn that there was much more to his story.

"Have you recovered any other memories?"

"Answer: As previously, I have found a few more programs which will enhance my performance. A most gratifying discovery, in fact. There is still nothing from previous memories uncovered." Velyn frowned at this, his tales were strange and she wanted to learn more about him. "You will have to operate again if you desire to find them. With luck, I will discover the stimulus to unlock my core and all this will be unnecessary. I do thank you for the attempt, however, master."

"Of course." She sighed. As much as she wanted to operate again and learn more about his history. She finally felt the exhaustion fully set in. Her head had now settled down completely during the conversation so she hoped that meant she could sleep peacefully. "I'm going to turn in for the night." 

"As you desire Master, signing off."


	11. Ebon Hawk: Apologies and Repairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn has a deep talk with Carth and learns more about HK.

After a long debate over where to go for the next Star Map, the crew agreed on the planet of Kashyyyk, home of the Wookies. It would be a while before they arrived to the planet, so Velyn took the time to go and speak with some of the crew. Most of them were pretty brief, especially with Bastila whom she still didn't really understand. But some of them provided her with more insight about her team and though she would hesitate to call them friends, she could at least say that she trusted them to cover her when needed. 

After checking with most of the crew, Velyn turned her attention to Carth. He and her had a brief but tense exchange a few hours prior to the crew meeting. Velyn appreciated Carth, he was skilled and, after the initial rough start of their discussions, was less daunting to talk to than Bastila. To leave off on such a hostile note didn't leave Velyn feeling right. 

“We didn't end our last discussion very well…” She began as she pulled him aside to a more private space. Carth sighed and looked away from her. 

“I, ahhh... I'm not very good at this. I... I know I owe you an apology. Uh, more than one, probably. I was just so desperate to finally face Saul directly in the battle over Taris, and now the Jedi have us looking for these... these Star Maps." He met her concerned stare. Saul, the commander of the Sith fleet under Malak. Carth had mentioned him before. Carth had looked up to, that is, until he betrayed the republic. There was no doubt that the issue would flare up in the future, but for now they had other things to worry about. "I know this mission is important, it's just... I feel a bit useless. I can fight, sure, but I'm no Jedi... all this feels completely out of my league.” He sighed again. Velyn frowned trying to come up with something to say.

“I understand that this has been difficult.” She couldn’t, not really, but she needed to give him some comfort. “But we need you to refocus on our mission. It’s important that we do this as a team.” 

“I’m sorry. I just hate not knowing what's going on and feeling this... helpless. I shouldn't have taken that out on you. I've been a royal pain in the backside, haven't I?” 

Velyn nudged him lightly. “Maybe a little. But don't worry about it too much.”

“It's just that I've traveled the lanes more than once, I should know better than this. Will you accept my apology?” He asked. Velyn smiled. Carth was a bit whiny, but at least he was good company.

“As long as you do your part on this mission.” She tried her best to be as earnest as she could. Velyn didn’t understand why he had felt like he needed to apologize, but at least he seemed more at ease.

“That’s good." Carth paused for a moment in thought. "Hey while we’re talking like this. I just wanted to let you know I’m…concerned about your latest addition.” 

It took a moment for Velyn to process what he was talking about, until it clicked that she was talking about her new droid. 

“Do you mean HK-47?” She asked. Carth nodded. 

“He’s proven capable in battle, but he’s a bit… unnerving.” Carth suddenly went sheepish at the topic. It was almost like he felt it was not his place to address it.  
Velyn hadn’t stopped thinking about before, but now that he had mentioned it she suddenly realized that the droid’s murderous nature was very intimidating. 

HK-47 hardly talked to any of the crew and when he did, he addressed them as ‘meatbag’. Unlike T3, the smaller droid they had picked up before Taris blew up, he didn’t care for the instructions or request of anyone except Velyn.  
Velyn would be lying if she said she hadn’t formed a strange soft spot for him. His strong obedience to her was amusing at times and it was kinda funny when someone would try to get him to do something. Even though it wasn't exactly convenient at times.  
Of course there was his violent tendencies. The droid willingly asked her if he could kill something or on one unfortunate occasion, someone. Needless to say Canderous, the group’s Mandalorian, was NOT happy about it and it took sometime before the two could be in the same room again.  
But besides all that Velyn was impressed and sometimes amused by him. The droid's presence felt strangely nostalgic and secure, though sometimes she would be hit by a migraine around him. She still didn’t understand the reason why, but she continued to talk with him. 

Despite her fascination with the droid, she knew her crew came first. Velyn tried to come up with a solution to make her crew feel a bit more comfortable, but none of them she liked. She just had to bite the bullet and pick one to offer to Carth. 

“I see. Would you feel better if I deactivate him then?” Her tone was more offensive than she had planned. Carth looked like he unsure. 

"Maybe." Velyn unconsciously frowned, why did her suggestion bother her so much? Carth noticed her reaction and started to panic a bit. "I just mean that..." He sighed. "Never mind. Just don't drop your guard around him, will you?" 

Velyn nodded. She didn't like seeing the discussion end this way. But she wasn't going to question him further. Velyn simply smiled to ease the tension. 

"I will, thank you for your concern." At her words, Carth started to walk away. "Carth," He paused, "you're part of my team. We're in this together and if you need anything let me know alright?" 

He turned around, gave her a brief half-hearted smile and left. 

Velyn sighed, walking out towards her chambers. 

\--------------------------------

The rest of the crew seemed to have retired to their chambers, probably for the best the Star Map on Kashyyyk didn't seem like it would be any easier to find than the one on Tatooine. Velyn retired too or tried to, but after feeling restless for an hour or so, she decided to take a light stroll instead. 

She took notice when she started to approach HK-47’s space. Despite Carth’s concern, Velyn didn't really see the droid as threat. Besides he still needed some repairs before he could run at full capacity. 

“HK,” the name slipped out like they had once before. It was fine, Velyn reasoned, she shortened T3's name. Why was it such a big deal here and now? Every time she said ‘HK’, her mind started to grind, like two gears offset from each other and not fitting right. She needed to get over it. It was less of a mouth full to say anyway.

“Statement: HK-47 is ready to serve, Master.” 

“I just came to work on your repairs.” She gave him a polite smile. He gave a brief nod. 

“Of course Master.” He started to make his way to the work bench and Velyn went for her tools. This routine was starting to get familiar and as Velyn started the procedure, she wondered how many of these she would have to. The repair was fairly quick and she hardly needed the droid's instructions this time around. When she was done. She closed him up and allowed him to sit up on the bench. He took a moment to process his newly available systems. 

“Accessing…Access complete: I have accessed information on my owner prior to the senator, master. Most… unexpected.”

“What is?" She asked him, cleaning up the extra tools and bolts. 

“Answer: It appears that previous to my ownership by the senator, I was the property of one Bochaba the Hutt on the planet Sleheyron.”

"And what gruesome fate awaited him?” She joked as she put everything up. 

"Objection: That is unfair, master! While Bochaba may have died gruesomely, I most certainly had nothing to do with it. Well… very little.” 

Velyn couldn't help but smirk a bit as she returned to the droid and sat beside him. "Well who was this Bochaba?" 

“Hmm. My memory tells me that, for a time, Bochaba was one of the most feared gangsters on Sleheyron. I helped him with this reputation greatly. Over a span of one year, I terminated a grand total of 322 sentient meatbags. These contracts made Bochaba very wealthy.” He explained. Velyn for waited for him to continue. “It was unfortunate but inevitable that eventually Bochaba would overstep his bounds. I had just cleared two Hutt households when the Exchange retaliated.” Another pause.   
“Statement: I was not even present when my old master was assassinated. I did appreciate the artistry behind his demise upon my return, however.” 

Velyn took a little too long to process it. She could see how the lifestyle would've fit HK's tendencies. "Did you mourn your master?" An odd question. Odd in the sense that she spoke it without fully thinking it and even more odd in how HK responded. 

“Observation: According to your own meatbag values, was my master not a heartless gangster and murderer?” HK made a good point. Velyn really wasn't sure what answer she was expecting when she asked. “I will, however, mourn you when you perish, master.”

"When I perish?" Surprisingly, she was a bit flattered. It didn't seem like HK was necessarily attached to the other masters he had had in the past. 

“Amendment: *If* you perish.” HK quickly corrected himself. "So far I am three out of three, remember, through little fault of my own. At any rate, I quickly shut down upon my master's death. The rival Hutt claimed me along with my master's other possessions. Observation: If that Hutt had only known my true function, he surely would not have sold me to a senator he bribed regularly." 

Velyn nodded. HK was skilled. It was a surprise that he had ended where he had. "Would you have preferred to stay on Sleheyron?" She asked him a little eager to hear what he had to say. 

"Observation: It would have suited my character, master. I have enjoyed my existence since, more or less, so I do not miss it." 

Velyn felt strangely comforted by this. It was clear to her that he seemed to enjoy the crew, or at least her. She tried to pride herself on making this whole journey a decent one when she could. Though she couldn't help but feel she needed to keep HK's support specifically. The thought made her feel strange and left her feeling uncomfortable as she couldn't figure out the reason why. "Is there anything else you can remember?" 

"Answer: Negative, master. There is still more memory that can be restored, however, if you wish to try." 

"Another time perhaps." She spoke with a smile. For a moment they sat in silence. A headache starting to bother her as she thought about the exchange between them.

"Contemplative," his words snapped her out of her daze, "I wonder how many more dead masters I might have out there. A droid can live for a long time, you know."

Velyn frowned at his tone. She couldn't imagine how many more masters he had before her, but she selfishly started to hope that maybe she would be the last or at least the longest lasting. "I know." She finally stood up, her headache suddenly increasing in intensity. "I'm going to go rest before we arrive to Kashyyyk. Good night HK." Velyn told him softly. 

As she made her way back to her chambers she felt a little sad. She couldn't imagine losing her memory like HK had lost his, but she hoped that during their journey she might be able to help him remember more of his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been meaning to post this chapter for a bit. It's definitely longer than expected but hopefully adds something to the story.


	12. Ebon Hawk: A dream? Or?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right before Kashyyyk, Velyn has a vision.

A cool darkness at first, but then a damp air crept in around her. Velyn opened her eyes to find herself standing on a dark forest floor. Around her distant alien sounds stirred, putting her on edge. She glanced up to see that the strange trees around her grew long past her line of sight. The vastness of the forest, made her feel even more small and vulnerable in this strange place. Velyn couldn't remember how she got there and as hard as she tried she couldn't figure out why this place seemed vaguely familiar. Why did she feel like she needed to be here so badly?

A faint beep, interrupted her isolated thoughts and she turned to see some sort of large terminal computer further away, hidden among the foliage. Without her consent, her body started to walk towards the terminal. The world around her shifted in and out of focus as she walked. In her head she could feel a faint pounding, as she neared it. The space around her darkened even more. Velyn laid her hands down on the terminal. The terminal booted up.

A bright light blinded her, her head still ringing as the brightness dim. When she opened her eyes again, she now stood in front of a star map like the ones they had encountered on Dantooine and Tatooine. Mesmerized she reached out to it, the brilliant glow and patterns teasing something with in her. Her hand flickered for a moment and became gloved. She jumped back, staring down at her now gloved hands, they were splattered with blood.

The world around began to flip back and forth. One moment she was Velyn with ungloved hands, the forest lighter and calm, but in the next moment... she felt like someone else. Her hands were gloved, blood splattered everywhere. As these realities flipped, she felt the distinction between them blur. In those brief instances, she knew where that blood had come from... but it couldn't have been her. Could it? None of this was right. _Velyn_ wasn't right.... The world around her shifted faster and the faster it went the more she felt lines blur together. These two visions becoming one. She was becoming one. One with whoever the gloved monster was. A searing pain shocked her brain and she collapsed to her knees. 

Smoke rose from the forest, surrounding her, _suffocating_ her, filling her lungs. She gasped for air, her body starting to shutdown. She needed to do something. This was just a dream. This had to be a dream. But the pain felt so real. All she could do was close her eyes and scream. 

Velyn jolted awake in her bunk, sweating and trying to catch her breath. She immediately glanced at her hands. Clean and gloveless. Her panic started to settle and so did the pain in her head. She gave a sigh of relief. The dream, the vision, whatever it was had shaken her. It felt so real almost like a horrifying memory. She tried to shake it off. Something about the gloved hands stirred something in her and she couldn't pin what it was. She tried to shake it off again, her head a little clearer and focused. There wasn't much time to focus on it though. Velyn needed to get going, Malak and his forces were already starting to track them and time wasn't on their side.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Carth and Bastila were hanging in the cockpit, when Velyn finally left her room.

Before she could say anything, Bastila spoke. "There's no need for alarm. It was another vision."

"I-" Velyn gave a sigh of relief, for once she was more than thankful to have Bastila on her side. "Good to know."

"The force is guiding us, helping us to retrace the steps of Malak and his old Master." Oh. It finally clicked. The gloves that Velyn had seen were Revan's. She was seeing what Revan saw. She felt a bit foolish now. She wasn't prepared for these visions and certainly wasn't prepared to be experiencing them linked to such a powerful sith lord. Despite her training on Dantooine and her reluctance to align herself with the jedi, she really did need to learn more about the Force especially if she was to stop Malak. Maybe after Kashyyyk she would talk to Bastila a bit more to try and get some extra help on controlling herself in these visions. "Kashyyyk is a lush but simple and undeveloped world. I would not have expected to find the alien technology of a Star Map here." Bastila continued.

Velyn snapped out of her thoughts, suddenly aware that Bastila had continued to talk.

"Right." Velyn cleared her throat. "It looked like the Star Map was on the forest floor."

"The Wookiees of Kashyyyk make their home high among the wroshyr branches; only their bravest warriors dare to descend into the forbidding depths of the forest. If the Star Map is located far beneath us on the planet's surface, as our vision seems to suggest, it is unlikely the Wookiees even know of its existence. No doubt things will become more clear once we discover the Star Map's location." Bastila continued. Velyn agreed and hoped they could find the map without too much trouble.

"What about you Carth, do you know anything about Kashyyyk?" Velyn turned to Carth, who seemed to be trying not to bud into Bastila and Velyn's conversation. Even after the conversation that he had with Velyn, he still felt a bit awkward to be a part of this whole Star Map search. He would, or Velyn hoped he would, get over the awkwardness. "I guess I don't have much else to add. Kashyyyk is covered by a giant forest, I hear. Trees kilometers high. Like Bastila said, the Wookiees live on the higher branches. That's all I can think of, at any rate." He responded.

Velyn nudged him a bit with a smile. "Well at least there's no sand this time." Carth gave her a smile and she continued. "Okay. Let's go down and get that Star Map."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoyed writing the weird vision scene and hopefully can get the Kashyyyk scenes out soon. Fun fact the Manaan and Leviathan scenes are done so once we get past Kashyyyk it'll be more frequent updates.


	13. Kashyyyk: Frustrations and Concerns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and crew finally land on Kashyyyk. Unfortunately it seems like all the planet can do is piss Velyn off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up this is a long part!

After paying another stupid Czerka fee, Velyn, Zaalbar, and HK made there way down a ramp. The planet was much like in her vision, vast and foreign. Velyn was grateful that she had the help of a Wookie to guide her way. It wasn’t too long, before Velyn noticed however, that her Wookie guide seemed more nervous here then she had ever seen him. She guided them to a quieter area and calmly ordered for HK to remain away from them for a moment, so she could speak with Zaalbar privately.

“Zaalbar you seemed concerned. Something on your mind?” Her sapphire gaze scanning him as she tried to determine what was going on.

“Kashyyyk... my home. I should have prepared you for coming here... but I don't know if I've prepared myself.”

“Prepared me? What do you mean?” This was the first time she had heard him so concerned for her or for anything really.

“I didn't leave Kashyyyk voluntarily. Mission must have told you how I was fleeing slavers... but there was more.” He took a pause. “I am an exile. The slavers on Kashyyyk only took me after I was forced to leave my village home, 20 years ago.”

“Why were you forced to leave?” She asked, she could sense there was more.

“My brother made deals with the slavers and allowed them to get a foothold. I found out and attacked him. The fight was stopped, but my father did not believe me when I told him about my brother's actions. I was made an exile, disowned by my home and people. I should not be here. They will not accept me back.”

“Why didn’t your father believe you?”

“When I attacked my brother I was so mad… I used my claws. You don't understand what that means to a Wookiee. Our claws are tools, not weapons. To use them in battle is to become an animal. It is madness without honor. I am forever a madclaw in the eyes of my people. Nothing I say is to be trusted. They were right to cast me out.”

Velyn watched Zaalbar, starting to understand his distress or at least learning more about.

“A lot of time has passed Zaalbar. Things will have changed.” As she spoke, she didn’t quite believe herself. She didn’t know what to expect, but it seemed like Zaalbar didn’t either. At least she would offer her support and her trust.

“The slavers are still here... this dock is theirs. I doubt anyone has risen to try and fight. Nothing has changed.” He released a sigh. Velyn offered a light hand on his shoulder, he didn’t refuse it. “I just hope I can prove myself to my people. It will be difficult to make them listen. I just don't know.”

“Thank you Zaalbar for telling me.” She removed her hand. “I can’t promise to solve anything, but we’ll deal with what we have to in order to complete our mission.” Zaalbar walked away and Velyn went up to HK. “Come on HK, we’ve got a Star Map to find.”

\-----

The more Velyn saw of the Czerka Corporation’s presence on Kashyyyk, the more she understood Zaalbar’s hatred towards them. It was disgusting to see the way that they treated the Wookies. It especially made her uncomfortable to know that all of them were under the strict impression that Zaalbar was her slave. But despite her disgust towards these slavers, she knew that destroying their operation would be beyond her power.

They entered the Czerka Office and approached the Ithorian in charge. In the corner was a knocked out and caged Wookie. Velyn could hear Zaalbar growl from behind her.

“Welcome to Edean. I trust you will find our facilities pass inspection. Czerka Corporation is very efficient.”

“You have nothing to be proud of, fool.” Zaalbar grumbled. The Ithorian seemed surprised by Zaalbar’s outburst.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand Wookieespeak. Shyriiwook, I think it’s called? What did the Wookiee say?”

“You work on Kashyyyk and don't understand the language?” Velyn was almost surprised, until she remembered how terrible Czerka was. Of course, they couldn’t understand.

The Ithorian was obviously embarrassed by continued to speak calmly. “Czerka Corporation calls the planet Edean, and no, I don't understand the language. The local Wookiee leader has made it so we don't need to. Wookiees are unable to speak basic, but for the last decade the residents of all local villages have been trained to understand it.”

“Why would a Wookiee leader do that?” From her brief conversations with Zaalbar and her understanding of Wookie’s, the seemed rather isolationist.

“I understand he works very closely with Czerka Corporation. He wants his people to work well with us. It eases tensions.” Velyn resented the Ithorian’s tone.

“And it makes my people more desirable as slaves.” Zaalbar pitched in.

“What did he say? I don't usually have a translator I can ask.”

“That knowing Basic just makes his people better slaves.” Velyn nearly snapped back. She couldn’t help but feel this guy getting on her nerves.

“I just work here in the lab. I... I don't have anything to do with the taking of slaves.”

“Oh how convenient. All the benefits with no guilt.” Oh this guy was definitely getting on her nerves.

“I don’t have to justify myself to you.” There was a tremor in his voice as he tried to defend himself. “I do good work here. If you’re looking for trouble, go somewhere else.”

“Whatever. I’m just here to ask what you know about a ‘Star Map’.” The sooner she could get information, the sooner she could leave.

“I'm sorry, but I have no information on that. Are you sure you meant to come here? This world is very primitive. Much of it is still unexplored, even by the locals. The forest gets ever more dangerous the further you descend. The lowest levels, the Shadowlands, are largely unknown.”

She gave out a distressed sigh. She was so frustrated that she was almost tempted to pull out her blaster and shoot him right here. She took another breath. Focus. She had to refocus. With luck, the Wookies might be able to be more helpful in finding the Star Map. A new goal in mind, Velyn turned around and left the room, HK and Zaalbar trailing behind her.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

It wasn’t much longer before Velyn and the group encountered Malak’s forces, a couple of dark jedi, along the walkway. It wasn’t too hard to fight them off, but Velyn knew that the longer it took for them to successfully find all the Star Map’s the more time that Malak would have to grow his forces and inflict more destruction. Breathing hard from the fight, Velyn powered off her lightsaber and placed it back on her hip. “Great, Malak is more than on to us.”

“It would seem like it Master.”

“Let’s keep going. I doubt that was the last of them.”

They continued forward. Velyn more than a little frustrated from the fight.

As they approached the end of the walkway, they approached a group of men over a body of a Wookie. Velyn overheard their speech.

“This isn’t good. I can’t afford this.”

“You think I can? Do you know what they get for a healthy one of these things?”

“We’ll work it out later.” One of them noticed Velyn. “We’ve got company.”

“What do you want, spacer? I’m Patrol Captain Dehno and you’re interrupting Czerka Corporation business.”

“What did you do?” Velyn asked, her stomach turning as she stared at the body.

“This Wookie slave got a little… rebellious. We had to put it down.” The answer was too mechanical. Too inhumane. Velyn grimaced. Wookies weren’t just tools to throw away.

“You ‘put *it* down’?! We’re not animals!” Zaalbar growled. This startled the men and they stepped back. Oh now they had feelings.

“Careful now... that growl sounded pretty threatening.” One of them spoke, trying to sound intimidating. Velyn was fed up with these people. She just needed them out of her hair and fast.

“Zaalbar let me handle this.” Velyn signaled him to stand down. 

“But their disregard for the life of this Wookie is too much!”

“I know. I’ll handle this.” Velyn struggled to keep her voice still, she was growing just as upset as Zaalbar. Though she wouldn’t escalate things unless she had to. These men were a waste of time.

“Keep your slave on its leash or we'll have another accident.” One of the men, placed his hand on his blaster. Oh that was it. No slaver scum was going threaten her companions. She felt her rage rise up to her throat as she spoke.

“Don’t worry this won’t be an accident.” Velyn immediately pulled out her blaster shot one of the men in the head. In an instant the small group of men were taken down by HK and Zaalbar. When they all went down. She placed her blaster up.

As she stared at the mens’ bodies, her anger was suddenly replaced with a cold chill. She swallowed hard to try and rid herself of the bitterness in her mouth.

“I’m sorry Zaalbar.” She managed to mutter, but he didn’t respond.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

The trio walked further down into the tree paths of Kashyyyk. Velyn had now come down from her strange outburst and had refocused her mind on the Star Map. Zaalbar, however, was even more anxious. Though it was hard for Velyn to tell what was the cause. He paused in his tracks. Velyn paused to and looked back at him.

“Zaalbar, what is it?”

“Can you sense it? The wind… the sound… the smells? I feel it all now that we are away from the spaceport.” He looked out to the endless forest around them. His gaze far away as he continued to speak with her. “This walkway is new, probably built by the slavers, but I remember the trees. My village is not far from here.”

Velyn watched him quietly for a moment. Studying him. It was clear to her now that Zaalbar would need her to be completely focused. She couldn’t allow herself to have another outburst if she wanted to help Zaalbar and get the Star Map. She glanced over to the forest. It was much larger than she had seen in her vision.

“Zaalbar.” She began softly, turning her attention back to him. “We are here for the Star Map, but if there is anything I can do to help you while we are here…”

“It is kind of you to offer,” He cut her off, “but my problems are very personal. I’m not sure if I am ready to deal with them.”

“I understand.”

“I must warn you of one thing... I don't know if I will be a help or hindrance to you here. My father was very powerful... a chieftain. Perhaps his feelings have mellowed, but if my brother had his ear all this time... I may be very unwelcome.”

“We’ll deal with that when the times comes.”

“That is what I am dreading. My shame was meant to be forgotten on some far away world. I never thought I'd come back. I'm sorry, I've taken enough of your time. We should press on.”

It was clear that Zaalbar didn’t want to discuss this further. Velyn respected his silence and moved on towards the village.

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Zaalbar was right when he warned her of a less than friendly welcome. After a hostile exchange between the Guard and Zaalbar, the trio was brought to the Chief, Chuundar. The air was more hostile in the Chief's room than Velyn was expecting and she struggled to find some footing in the discussion.

“Step forward and address the mighty and wise Chuundar, outsider. I don’t often allow visitors of your kind.”

"You are flanked by Czerka slavers! Are they not outsiders? Or have you sold all of Kashyyyk to them!"

" Ah, brother Zaalbar. You’ve been exiled a long time. You shouldn’t speak in that tone. Things are different now. You are a mad-claw without honor. You have no voice among your own people. I, on the other hand, am Chieftan."

"If you've made deals with slavers, the truth will get out eventually. You're people won't stand for this." Velyn spoke. T

" You may talk, but no one will believe you. I’ve had a long time to guide what my people think. They trust me, the mighty Chuundar. Even with my brother insane and father enslaved. I rose to protect my people despite it all."

"Father was enslaved? “Mighty Chunndar?” What are you talking about? You were the runt!" That clearly hit a nerve with the Chief.

"I am no runt! *ahem* Like I said, Zaalbar, a lot has changed in your years away. We will discuss this soon enough."

"What do you want?" Velyn tried to bring the conversation back to the focus of her visit to the planet.

"I haven’t killed Zaalbar because he is my brother, and I hoped he and I could come to an agreement. You are irrelevant." Harsh. "I may be able to put you to use on a menial task. Zaalbar will have to stay here, of course." Well at least Velyn was getting somewhere.

"What task?"

"A simple thing. Another Wookie has suffered the same fate as Zaalbar, gone mad and been exiled. He now lurks the Shadowlands. More importantly, he’s pestering my Czerka allies during their Shadowland expeditions. It is not good for business." Velyn already didn't like the task. 

"I’m only interested in what I’m looking for a Star Map."

"I don’t know anything about something like that, and I don’t care. Your concerns are nothing to me." It must have been Velyn's posture that tipped him off. But Chuundar quickly changed his tune to try to appeal to her. "There is a chance that what you are looking for resides in the Shadowlands. I’ll allow you access to the Shadowlands. You will track and kill this insane Wookie, and maybe earn my favor.”

“I would need Zaalbar with me as a guide.” Velyn reasoned. She would be a fool if she said she knew where to look, but Zaalbar had been here before, perhaps he had some clues. 

“You won’t need him to find your way. Over the years I have had my people trained to understand galactic Basic. Zaalbar stays here to ensure your loyalty.” Velyn sighed and then glanced over to Zaalbar. The wookie didn't look at her. HK leaned towards her, speaking to her as quietly as he could. 

“Query: Shall I begin blasting, master?" The droid raised his gun slightly ever so slightly. "We could have your hirsute companion free in no time.” She placed a delicate hand over his gun and placed it down, responding to him softly.

“Not yet, HK." Velyn contemplated their options for a moment. "We need them to let us through to the Shadowlands first. The Star Map is our priority right now." With a plan, more or less, she turned back to Chuundar.

“Very well I'll do your task.”

“Leave the village through the northwest and follow the platform to the south and then east. You’ll see where Gorwooken waits for you. He’ll lower you to the forest floor. Go.” 

The pair was escorted out of the Chief's room. 


	14. Kashyyyk: Enter the Shadowlands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HK and Velyn arrive in the Shadowlands and meet a strange man.

“So what do you want to do?” Carth asked from the other comm link. Velyn held her own comm link in hand as she leaned back against the wall. This whole mission had gotten messy. As much as she wanted to regroup with her team on the Ebon Hawk, she knew that the Wookie leader Chuundar would not let them go anywhere else but the shadow lands. At least not without her having to blast her way out. She needed to get the Star Map AND make sure she got Zaalbar out safely. Any misstep could ruin Velyn’s chances at successfully doing any of those goals. 

"There's no way we could regroup without angering these Wookies. I don't want to have to fight and besides if the Star Map is down there, now might be the only chance we have to get it. Zaalbar is important but the Star Map is still a priority." 

"Agreed. Do you have enough rations?" Velyn checked her bag. She had about a day or two's worth. It would have to do. 

"I'm sure." Not like they could have brought her more anyway. 

"Velyn," Bastila had taken the link to talk to her. Her tone more concerned than Velyn was expecting. "I felt a disturbance earlier are you alright?" 

"Bastila things are fine, we ran into Malak's forces on the way here but we took care of them." There was a pause and Velyn started to doubt that was what Bastila was referring to. 

"I see," Bastila's tone was quiet and Velyn could sense that there was something more there. But she didn't have the time to address it. Bastila moved on, her tone more sure. "May the force be with you in finding the Star Map." 

"Always." Velyn looked to HK as she spoke. "HK and I are going to go ahead into the Shadowlands. I can't guarantee we can stay in contact, but I'll do my best." 

"We'll be here if you need us." Carth told her, having taken back his side of the comm link. Velyn nodded with a smile. 

"Thanks Carth, Velyn signing off." She ended the communication. "Ok HK, let's go get that Star Map." 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The Shadowlands were very similar to the area that Velyn had seen in her vision. Dark and endless, an uncomfortable and stale dampness. Not to mention the wildlife. It take to long before Velyn had to withdraw her lightsaber and fend off the pest that scurried about. As the two of them continued forward, she began to think about where to even look, the guard hadn't been much help at directions and for all she knew he had sent her on a wild goose chase. She kept marching though, it wasn't like she had any other guidance. Eventually noticed a strange glower further ahead. Getting closer, she could see an older man fending off some of the pest with a lightsaber. Another jedi. 

Velyn approached with caution, as he sheathed his blade. He turned to her before she could address him. "Watch yourself, even more of these crawling beasts are hiding in the underbrush." 

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" She asked as he walked over to meet her.

"I'm Jolee. Jolee Bindo." He offered a hand to her. She shook his hand more curious than concerned now. He seemed more relaxed than she had initially expected. "Follow me to my camp and we'll talk a bit." His offer, though unexpected, was not unwelcomed. Velyn needed a guide and for all she knew, he was her best bet. He started to walk away and she began to trail after him.

"Sure. But what are you doing here exactly?" She caught up to his stride. 

"Why am I here? Hmph. Well it isn't because I like the stink of dead kinrath." He quipped giving her a brief smile. "Keep close. It's nearby under a log. Yeah, I live like some burrowing rodent. I fought the Sith… now look at me. Hmph!" Velyn smiled back politely, baffled by his behavior. He was strange, but it wasn't like she had any better options. 

Jolee's camp was definitely nicer than Velyn had been expected. There was a small fire pit and a quiet hut where she assumed he slept. From the looks of things, it seemed like this old jedi had been here for a long time. Possibly long enough to know about the Star Map. "Well, welcome to my home, such as it is. Pull up a stump and be comfortable. We should discuss a few things." He sat down on a stump nearby the fire. Velyn awkwardly settled across from him. 

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'm hoping that maybe you can help me and my droid here." She gestured to HK who stood almost menacingly behind her. We're looking for something called a Star Map." Jolee perked up at the name.

"Now why would you be asking about that, hmm?" Velyn moved to speak. "Don't answer." She stopped. "I knew that had to be why you were here. The problems of a few Wookiees don't amount to anything before the concerns of the Jedi. No, you are here for the map." He watched her. She nodded and he continued. "Kashyyyk is an interesting place, more so than anyone suspects. If Czerka Corporation knew, heh, the planet would be a strip mine. The Wookiees have their legends that they were not always here, but it is more than that. The trees themselves are strangers." Jolee seemed to be rambling. This wasn't helping Velyn at all.

"I don't understand. Can you be more specific?" She tried to clarify. He sighed almost annoyed.

"What I'm saying is that there are literally walls in your way, and you won't find what you need without my help… and my help has a price. " Of course it did.

"What's the price?"

"You must do a task for me, and then allow me to join you. I will then remove certain barriers in your path to the Star Map." Jolee sounded rather confident that she agreed. Not like she was really in the position to reject his task. 

"Why would you want to join me?" She asked him.

"You presumably have a ship. I've seen all I wish to here. Isn't that enough? I mean, I'm really sick of the trees. And perhaps your destiny might show me something new. You never know." He was honest, she gave him that. It wasn't much harm to team up with him at least until they got off of Kashyyyk. Velyn could worry later about what to do after that. 

"Alright what do you want me to do?" 

"Since they began expanding in the Shadowlands, the Czerka have left me alone, for the most part. Until recently, anyway. A group of them set up camp not far from here. Poachers is all they are. I'd like them removed from this place." Jolee stood up upset and looked out to the forest. Velyn wasn't surprised to here Czerka's name. It was more than enough to get Velyn on board with the task, but she wanted to know more first.

"Why do you care if they are here?" 

"They don't respect this place. They are butchering wildlife and threatening entire species. It's getting under my skin." That was one thing that Velyn and Jolee seemed to have in common. Jolee turned back to look at her. "The Wookiees could take care of themselves if they wished, but the animals are truly helpless victims." He was almost too deeply concerned about the forest for someone who wanted to leave it. 

"Where are they? How many men?" 

"They are not that far northeast of here. There is usually five in the area, as far as I can see. The Captain of the lot is the one that earned my ire. Mishandle my garden, will he? Hmph!" He crossed his arms. Velyn stood up.

"Alright I'll take care of Czerka." She let her hand out to him. Jolee took with a smile. 

"Good. Return to me here and we will see how you have done. Shoo. Shoo!" Velyn rolled her eyes and walked away with HK. Damn Jolee was pushy for an old geezer. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

The Czerka camp wasn't very hard to track down. The commander was organizing something on a data pad and other guards were just kind of standing about. They didn't seem like much of a threat. She watched for a moment and took more mental notes on the area. After an in depth assessment, she had a plan. Velyn approached the leader calmly and confidently. 

"Who are you, another civil merchant like that core-slime up on the docking ring? " He raised his gun to her. The commander didn't seem very happy with her presence. She kept her cool, glancing back to notice HK had also raised his gun. "This is my territory. I don't make deals and I don't persuade easily, so go back topside. Mess with my profits and I'll see you dead." Velyn almost reached for her blaster, but she remembered her earlier outburst and resisted the urge. 

"Chuundar has given me permission to be here." Velyn told him calmly. It wasn't a lie, but she needed something to diffuse the situation. Sure enough he put his gun down. 

"He's got no authority with me. I'm with Czerka Corporation. He's just some pet we keep so the locals stay in line. As long as you don't get in my way, you can wander where you want. I've got a job to do." He turned around. Velyn needed something more to work with. She needed him to keep talking. 

"About that. What if I want you to leave the Shadowlands?" Velyn asked. He turned back around.

"Is that old hermit Jolee trying to talk you into doing his dirty work?" Jolee did indeed have a reputation with Czerka. "We've spent too much on setting up just to walk away. As long as the sonic emitters keep the preds away and I've got bodies to guard the perimeter, we're staying right here. I mean, if I can put up with my own worthless guards complaining about this place, Jolee whining through you is nothing." He walked away. 

Guards complaining. It clicked. That was something Velyn could use. If she could exploit their complaints she might able to get out of this mess free. Velyn walked around the area until she approach one of the other guards. He was surprised at first, but after pulling the same 'Chuundar' card as before, he eased up. "Let's talk about the emitter you're guarding." She pointed to the device. He looked to it and then back to her, cautious.

"What do you want to know about that? It's just one of five or so sonic emitters protecting the camp." 

"Yeah and if someone shut them down you could leave. Surely you would rather be somewhere else?" She asked, he seemed to hesitate for a bit but then sighed.

"I certainly don't like being here." He thought to himself. "Well... I suppose you could take this code and shut down the emitter I'm guarding." He quietly handed her the code. "Enough of those emitters go down and the camp will have to move out. But I never said anything." She placed a finger on her lips and nodded. As he 'looked away', she shutdown the emitter. Now just to repeat the processes 4 more times. 

The processes was swifter and than Velyn expected and after a large beast chased out the poor poachers the deed was done. It was kind of karmic in a strange way. The poachers being the hunted. It was a better, if not more entertaining, ending than if Velyn would've gotten them that's for sure. HK also found amusing and after a brief laugh, the two of them made there way back to Jolee. Job completed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will pretty much be nothing but HK and Velyn so I hope you guys are ready for it!


	15. Kashyyyk: Around a fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Fluff?) Velyn and HK rest up before they continue their search for the Star Map.

“I’ve dealt with Czerka.” Velyn announced as she approached Jolee’s camp. The old geezer sat on a log, cooking something over the fire. Her stomach growled as she got closer. She hadn't noticed until now that she had forgotten to eat. “Yes, I could feel it as you walked near. " Jolee gave her a small smile as he used a stick to poke whatever he was cooking. He paused and then look at her, almost surprised. "And I don't sense the smell of death on you. You spared them? Interesting.”

“I did. Something wrong?" Velyn began. Great another Jedi judging her.

“I suppose not. but the environment would say otherwise, if it could talk." Jolee paused. But before Velyn could explain the poacher's fate. "No matter.” He looked away. Velyn sighed, crossing her arms. 

“Okay I’ve done my part of the deal. Will you help us find the Star Map now?”

Jolee nodded. "I will. But you must be tired." Before she could remark her stomach growled, loud enough for Jolee to hear. She blushed in embarrassment. Jolee grinned. "And hungry too!" He pat the log beside him. "Come and sit. Food's just about ready. We can head out once you've eaten and rested up." Velyn stared at him for a moment, wondering how he could be so casual. But he was right and even if she didn't want to admit it, she needed to rest up. Reluctantly she sat across from him. 

"Very well. What're we having?"

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Velyn opened her eyes to find herself standing among Jolee's camp. Around her the world was stale and silence. "Hello?" She asked and stepped forward, her body and head heavy. No answer. She tried again. "Jolee? HK?" Her words echoed. She shivered, suddenly growing colder. Something was with her. Velyn turned around and noticed a figure facing away from her. "Hello?" She stepped forward cautiously. A strange feeling overcame her. As she got closer, her body grew colder, but there was a strange attraction to the figure. She couldn't explain it. Before she could reach them, the figure seemed to notice her. Velyn stopped feeling her body freeze up. The figure started to walk away. "Wait!" Without thinking Velyn went after them, grabbing hold of their hand. The figure turned around. She stepped back, still holding their hand. She had seen this figure before in her visions. _Revan_. 

The ground shook from underneath her and she collapsed onto her knees. Her head now pounding. When she looked up, the world around her had changed. She found herself now in the halls of a ship. Loud sounds and sirens were going off, the smell of death around her. She shivered her body still freezing. She down the hall and noticed Bastila standing over something, her yellow lightsaber a stark contrast to the dark metal around them. "Bastila?" Velyn called out, but Bastila didn't listen. Bastila walked away and Velyn began to rush after her, but paused as she focused down at the floor. A figure was slumped over. As the figure fell over on their back, Velyn tensed. It was Revan again. This time Velyn felt something call to her as she stared at Revan. Entranced, she crouched down. The ship shook again and she ended up landing onto Revan's body. She pushed off quickly as she heard Revan's gasp for air. Her own lungs starting to fill with sudden smoke. 

"Velyn!" There was a voice. Velyn could swear it was Bastila's. "Velyn don't-" Bastila's voice started to cut into the loud atmosphere. But Velyn was more focused on Revan's dying body. She coughed trying to catch her breath but she couldn't. Revan turned slightly to focus on her, freezing her into place. Bastila's voice called to her again. She ignored it. Revan reached out for her hand, fresh blood on their gloves. Velyn tensed and couldn't help but place her hand within Revan's. As they touched, a searing pain shot through her. She pulled away only to find Revan's body had become her own. Her eyes immediately darted down to her now gloved hands. "Velyn!" Bastila's voice called to her again and again, louder this time. Velyn trembled, the ship fully collapsing around her, her nose burning from the smoke. This was just a dream. She told herself. She needed to wake up. She closed her eyes, focused on Bastila's shouting voice, and took a deep breath.

\---

Velyn woke up with a gasp. The world around her started to settle, as she continued panting and sweating. She laid there on the ground, staring up into the darkness. Listening as the forest sounds assured of the world around her. It was just a strange vision, a dream mixed with her connection with the Force, she told herself. She sighed. When she had the chance she would thank Bastila, it was her voice that allowed her to break through the strangeness of the dream. Velyn was sick of Revan's constant appearances in her dreams. Perhaps Bastila knew how to get rid of that. 

Velyn considered falling back to sleep, but she was still shaking a bit. She turned over to look at the fire pit. By the looks of it, she hadn't been too long since she had fallen asleep. Jolee seemed to have retired into his personal hut. HK. She propped herself up and looked over to see him turned away, sitting on a log. Velyn smiled. Maybe it was just the fresh sense of fear that had overcome her, but she was thankful to have him here. 

Eventually she got up and walked over to him. Velyn settled beside him and he looked to her. "Master. It is late." He didn't sound very surprised, she wondered if he had noticed her thrashing about in her sleep. 

"I'm aware." She answered, avoiding his gaze. 

"Query: Are you ready to continue our journey?" 

"Not yet." She sighed. "I can't sleep." 

Without another word between them, HK looked out into the forest, continuing his watch. Velyn looked out as well, the two of them sitting in silence for a moment. Velyn enjoying his company and the security it brought her. The security that felt so nostalgic to her that she almost forgot she had only recently obtained him.

Finally after a moment of thinking about him, Velyn spoke. "You don’t need to call me master, you know." He looked at her.

"Query: Don’t I? I was under the assumption that organic meatbags such as yourself enjoyed such forms of address." HK responded.

"Well I do- wait." She paused and look at him confused. "Organic Meatbags?" It wasn't like he hadn't used the phrase before. He said it whenever he had the chance. But never whenever it was just the two of them. HK also seemed to notice this misstep as well. 

"Retraction: Did I say that out loud?" He said a little frantic. "I apologize, master. While you are a meatbag I suppose I should not call you such." 

"You just called me a meatbag again!" The term felt so demeaning to her. It was fine whenever he would call anyone else it, but something about him calling _her_ a meatbag pissed her off. 

"Explanation: It's just that… you have all these squishy parts, master. And all that water!" He began clearly annoyed. "How the constant sloshing doesn't drive you mad, I have no idea..." His tone made Velyn smile. Somehow she couldn't be angry at him and simply chuckled. 

"Okay Okay." She raised her hand to quiet him a little. "Just don't call _me_ a meatbag again." HK gave an affirmative nod. 

"Amendment: Then I will endeavour not to refer to you by your meatbag status in the future, master. Does that suffice?" HK asked, eager to gain her approval. 

"Yes." She stopped smiling, trying to get back to her original point. "So HK, why can't you stop calling me Master?" It felt like a dumb question for her. But it felt weird to have HK refer to her that way. He had earned her trust and she saw him as capable and sometimes even more capable than anyone else in her crew. To her, calling her master was demeaning. 

"Apology: I am afraid I cannot comply with your command, master, as much as I would like to." HK's tone dropped. She frowned. 

"Why can't you comply?" Her voice softened.

"Explanation: Someone has hard-coded it into my system that my current master always be addressed as such." 

"Who did that?"

"Conjecture: I do not know… some organic meatbag?" HK sounded almost resentful. Though Velyn couldn't tell whether it was from the amnesia or from the inability to comply to Velyn's wishes.

"I could take a look if you would like. Maybe I could fix it." 

"Objection," HK quickly interjected, his voice full of concern. "I would not advise that, master. There are safeguards present that... well, it should suffice to say that my systems have been altered plenty already."

"Your systems have been tampered with?" Velyn watched him carefully. He gave her another nod.

"Answer: Considerably. Several of my systems do not match their imbedded parameters. I have no memory of such alterations, however, or their purpose."

"And the safeguards?"

"Answer: electrical protection systems, mostly. They are at lethal levels, however, master…" Velyn felt a chill run up her spine. Those were very intense measures. She gave a sigh. "Only the best for your droid." 

_Your Droid_. Velyn smiled. She liked the sound of that. "Well then. I guess we're stuck with you calling me master, huh?" She nudged him lightly.

"Observation: I can hardly be blamed for my programming, master. Do not worry… I am still well-capable of killing most anything for you." 

Velyn faintly chuckled and leaned against his shoulder. "You know HK," her voice softened with a warm fondness. "I can live with that." 

"Commentary: That is a very clever turn of phrase, master. Your brain is very un-meatbag-like." HK fondly replied.

They stayed liked that for a while. A quiet calm coming over her. HK turned back to watch the forest, and Velyn closed her eyes. It wasn't long before she started to doze off. Finally she had to pull herself away from HK to try and get more rest. "I think I'm going to go rest some more. Stay on Guard HK." Her words were slurred and she gave him a tired grin. HK a little amused by her.

"Of course Master." He assured her. Velyn settled back onto the ground and turned to watch HK as she fell back to sleep. This time slipping into a comfortable and vision-less sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay but I absolutely love this scene. It's been in a file for a while so it's nice to finally have it out.


	16. Kashyyyk: The Star Map

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and team finally track down the Star Map though the price for it is more than Velyn expected.

When Velyn woke up for the second time, Jolee had already began to pack to accompany her. There was some awkward tension between them and Velyn didn't doubt that he had heard her thrashing about in her sleep or perhaps even felt her disturbance. But nothing came of the tension and after a quick breakfast and some light remarks from Jolee on leaving his hovel, they moved on. Jolee assured her that the Star Map wasn't far from his old home and that was true. The journey didn’t take as long as Velyn expected and as they climbed down a small drop, she could see something in the distance. Her hair stood on end as she realized it was the computer terminal from her vision. She approached carefully to it, unsure of what to do.

“Life forms detected. Determining parameters. Initiating neural recognition.” The computer hologram appeared and addressed them. Startled, Velyn stepped back. Jolee gave an awkward chuckle.

“Yes, there's one thing. Obstinate machine. I've no doubt it holds what you seek, but good luck getting it operational.” Jolee admitted with another awkward chuckle. She groaned, he could have told her that before they got here. 

As she thought of an alternate plan, the computer completed it's neural recognition. “Primary neural recognition complete. Preliminary match found.” 

Jolee and Velyn exchanged glances, both surprised. “Match found...? What the... it always muttered something about "rejected patterns" for me.” Jolee muttered under his breath. A bit more confident that she could get what she needed, Velyn stepped forward. Velyn couldn't help wonder what difference the computer found between her and Jolee.

“Begin socialized interface. Awaiting instruction. Greetings. This terminal has not been accessed for quite some time.” The computer acknowledged her.

“Why have you acknowledged me?” 

“Error. Subject displays unfamiliarity to environment. Behavioral reconfiguration will be needed before access. I am sorry, I did not mean to confuse you. I will answer questions to the best of my programming limitations.” The computer's response didn't inspire courage in Velyn. Perhaps the Star Map, wouldn't be easily gained after all. 

The computer still wasn't clear on whatever it was using as a security measure. “What do you mean by behavioral reconfiguration?”

“I have been programmed with a very limited field of knowledge, and I must restrict access to only those that fit my allowed pattern.”

“And I don't fit that pattern?” 

“I can't say. I will try to bring forward the behavior that you need to proceed, as outlined by my programming.” 

She sighed. It seemed that she could get some information from the computer, though how much information was still uncertain. Best to be direct, she thought. “I seek information about a Star Map.” 

“Accessing. Yes, I have found a Star Map in original system memory." Velyn felt a bit of relief. "Access is restricted.”

The answer didn't help make things easier but it provided her with at least the assurance that the Star Map was indeed there. “What do I need to do to get access to the Star Map?”

“Your request requires additional security access. You must be made to match the parameters I have been supplied.” The computer had told her this before, but it didn't get any clearer as it repeated itself. In fact it was just growing more annoying and more vague. 

Velyn held in a sigh, she just had to keep asking questions. The computer had to have something useful to tell her. “How can I match them when I don't know what they are?”

“There are measures available. Personality profiling will verify the basic structure of your conscious mind. With that, I will determine whether you are ready to receive the Star Map, or can be made ready.”

Personality profiling, that was something Velyn could work with. “Who installed this holo-interface?”

“This interface was installed to better access the ancient data stored within the pre-existing system. The exact date is unavailable. Programming keys indicate no earlier than five years before current Republic standard.”

“Hmm, five years ago? I didn't notice it." Jolee's tone piqued Velyn's interest. "This must have been installed in strictest secrecy. It couldn't have been Czerka.”

“No other information on time of installation or identity of user available. Likelihood of removal by user, 100%.” 

“Five years ago..." The time frame seemed familiar. Then it clicked. "That's about the time Revan passed this way. Right?” Velyn turned to the computer.

The computer made a strange noise. “Error. Data regarding subject "Revan" corrupted.”

“But there was an entry at some time?” The computer didn't respond. She tried once more with a different question. “Was there any further contact with the installer of this interface?”

“That information is unavailable," no luck, "but contact is not required for the execution of my programming. Scanning range of this facility is well beyond planetary boundaries.”

Velyn stood in thought for a moment. It seemed that the best option was to do this 'personality profiling' and hopefully she could gain access to the information the computer was holding back. Thinking back to vision which held the star map, Velyn head began to hurt. There had to be something useful in it. A gut instinct told her that Revan was the one who set this up and a stronger feeling told her that Revan's personality was the key to gaining access. The only issue was that despite hearing about _what_ Revan did, she still didn't quite get _who_ Revan was. It was a bit of risk, but she wondered if she could utilize the strange connection to Revan that she had in her visions to get through this evaluation. Velyn knew that Bastila would probably reject the idea of it and maybe Bastila had a good reason to, but Velyn had to take that chance. Her encounters with Malak and his forces had cemented Velyn's desire to find the Star Forge and defeat them. 

With a firm nod, she addressed the computer. “You may begin evaluation.”

“Evaluation commencing. Results will be compared against the pattern in memory. Just act like you should.” Easier said than done. “You travel with a Wookiee and have encountered complications. Hypothetical: you and this Zaalbar are captured and separated. If you both remain silent, one year in prison for each of you. However, call Zaalbar a traitor, and he will serve five years, while you serve none. He is offered the same deal, but if you both accuse the other, you both serve 2 years. What do you do? What do you trust him to do?”

“How do you know about him? He isn't here.” Velyn felt uneasy now. The computer knew more than Velyn expected.

The computer was, of course, unphased by her surprise. “I hear what happens on Kashyyyk, and a good deal beyond. Answer the question I have posed.” Velyn hesitated trying to refocus on what the computer had asked her. “I must match your behavior to the pattern in memory. You must answer truthfully, knowing the consequences.”

Feeling rushed, she answered honestly. “I'm unsure what Zaalbar would say. I would accuse him to be safe.” An uncomfortable and bitter taste lingered after she spoke. Was she wrong to answer? What if it didn't match?

The computer processed the answer. “The temperament of a companion is unreliable at best. You wisely trade the threat of one year or five, for none or two.”

“This machine certainly seems to want a very specific type of response.” Jolee spoke now growing just as uncomfortable as Velyn.

“In this instance, the Wookiee is unreliable. His family has been a mire of treachery. I judge the answer correct. You display the proper behavior to match the pattern in memory. Evaluation will continue.”

"Why pit me against my companions?”

“They are already against you. Anything that corrupts your strength and efficiency is against you." She felt a chill run up her spine. I merely serve to illustrate the proper patterns. You must be guided to think in the proper manner.”

There was a mixed relief. Based on the feedback from the computer, Velyn judged that following Revan's mindset would work best. She knew now how to answer and even though she wanted to inform Jolee of what she was about to do she knew it could jeopardize the mission. After a moment to prepare herself, she was ready. “Fine continue the evaluation then.”

“Hypothetical: you are at war. Deciphering an intercepted code, you learn two things about your enemy. A single spot in their defense will be at its weakest in ten days, and they will attack one of your cities in five days. What do you do with this information? What is the most efficient course of action?”

Her first instinct was to attempt to try and reinforce the city, while also preparing for an attack on the tenth day. But her gut told her that it wasn't the best option. She closed her eyes and focused hard. That's what Velyn would do. The question was what would Revan do? By the stories she heard Revan was cold and a monster, but they were also a brilliant strategist willing to do whatever it took the succeed. Velyn needed to answer. “I prepare my forces to attack in ten days. I do nothing in the city.” Her blood went cold, both with the cruelty in her answer and the fear of being wrong. 

“Very good. If you had moved to evacuate the city, you would have alerted the enemy to their lost codes. Ultimate victory required the deaths of the people in that city. You wisely ignored sentiment in your decision.”

“The victory is irrelevant." Her words spilled out, as if she had said this a thousand times before. Some strange feeling overcoming her. "Stopping the war would have saved many more people.” Velyn snapped her mouth shut. A quick panicking hitting her. These weren't her words, she told herself, she would never sacrifice the innocent. She took a moment to remind herself what was at stake, she needed the Star Map and trying to think how Revan would think was the key to obtaining it. 

“You achieved the proper result with logic that does not match the pattern in memory. I shall adjust my evaluation.” The computer processed a moment. Velyn refocused her thoughts, the evaluation wasn't over just yet. “Hypothetical: remove the ongoing war from the previous example. Consider enemy states to be weak and remote. With no external threat, your empire stagnates. Your people become complacent and begin to question you. Same scenario as before; you discover an impending attack, but also a weakness that will come after. How do you react?”

“I-” Velyn held back her answer. The answer needed to be what Revan would answer. Even if it meant going against what Velyn wanted to say. Her mind wandered to Revan and the answer came out in cold tone.“I let the attack happen.”

“Of course you do. It makes the most strategic sense. Your people will rally beneath you against the common foe. As their eyes turn outward, your rule will strengthen. The trappings of war grant many opportunities.” The computer processed her answer for a bit. Her body grew cold. Velyn couldn't shake the feeling that the words left on her. “You have matched the pattern in memory. I recognize you, and will fulfill my designated function.”

Velyn's mouth taster bitter now and she couldn't shake the cold chill that consumed her. Her answers started to echo back to her, she tried to shake it off. Those weren't her answers. She wasn't the monster Revan was. “Give me access to the Star Map” Her words were sharp. 

“Yes you are ready. Soon you will recognize the proper course to follow. The Star Map is yours.” Her eyes glanced over as the Star Map opened up nearby. “This unit has now completed its primary duty and has finished with the subject. Executing final action.” The computer finally shut off, but that didn't leave Velyn feeling any better. The trio walked over to it. 

“Well, well. A Star Map. An ancient artifact of dark side power. Can't say I'm surprised. I always knew there was something funny down here. I wonder if the Star Map has had an effect on the evolution of the creatures here in the Shadowlands. Might explain why it's so dangerous down here.” Jolee spoke as if he was trying to change the mood. "Maybe." Her response fell flat. Velyn felt nauseous staring at the Star Map. It's charm had been lost and her head was now pounding. She couldn't explain her sudden condition, but she refused to let it distract her. They needed to move on. “We should get going. We still have one more thing to deal with before we can get off this planet.”


	17. Kashyyyk: Wookies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn and team have finally acquired the Star Map, however leaving Kashyyyk is easier said than done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heads up another long chapter! Also I have made a seperate work hosting all of the HK and Velyn/Revan moments from this story so if you're just here for those I would check it out!

Velyn was quiet as they walked away from the Star Map. Her nausea and migraine and subsided, but her mind was still caught on the answers to the Star Map evaluation. Despite the fact that the answers belonged to Revan, the tyrant and powerful sith, the more she thought about it, the more she understood the answers. This didn't ease her conscious and she knew that Bastila, like it or not, would be able to help her shake them off. As they walked through the forest, Velyn was zoned out on these thoughts. She didn’t even notice something was wrong until HK pulled her behind him and shot. 

The attacker was a rogue wookie, most likely the feral one that Chuundar had wanted her to kill. “More of you Czerka core-rats?! Is even the heart of Kashyyyk not free from your kind?!” Before Velyn could react, HK shot again, the Wookie falling to the ground. At first Velyn thought that HK had killed him, but the Wookie picked himself up. HK readied his blaster again.

Jolee intervened before HK could fire. “Wait! Don’t shoot I know him!”

“You know him?” Velyn placed a hand out to stop HK. HK obeyed. She allowed Jolee to approach the Wookie, who had fallen back onto the ground. “Jolee he just attacked us.” 

Velyn just wanted to leave and was close to ordering HK to go ahead and shoot. But Jolee was now in the way and she was too tired to try and argue with him. “I know he did, but not without reason. The only outsiders he’s seen for years have been slavers.”

She let out a frustrated sigh and addressed the Wookie. “Do you know Zaalbar and Chuundar?”

“What? Those are my sons." The Wookie looked up to her, surprised. "Why do you speak their names? Tell me!”

“My name is Velyn. I came to Kashyyyk with Zaalbar." 

“To my shame, Zaalbar was exiled and enslaved. Do you dare claim to be my son's owner, outsider?” The Wookie started to growl. 

She placed a hand out to calm him. With a tired tone, she spoke to him. “No, he follows because of a life-debt.”

“Does he? Then he sees something of worth in you. I will listen... cautiously. Gullibility has harmed me in the past.” Jolee offered the Wookie up, but the Wookie denied and remained on the ground. “If I had seen the lies of Chuundar, he would have been exposed as a slaver. Zaalbar would not have been exiled...” His tone saddened. “I did not believe Zaalbar's claims; I believed the elder boy, as tradition dictated. The shame of Zaalbar's attack blinded me.”

Velyn pulled out a med pac, walked over and offered it to the Wookie. He wasn't looking too good and if he was the old chief, he was more useful alive than dead. "Here this will help." The Wookie hesitated but then took it from her. “What exactly happened with Zaalbar?”

“Zaalbar saw it first. He learned that Chuundar was dealing with the Czerka, leading them to our hunting parties. Chuundar would blame disappearances on the dangers of the Shadowlands. Zaalbar was crazed when he found out. He attacked Chuundar with his claws. I thought he had gone mad... shed his honor." He paused and spoke apologetically. "I was bound by the old ways.”

Velyn simply took in his words. “And then he was exiled. When did you learn the truth?”

“A year later. By then, Chuundar had spread lies of my own madness. I had no allies when I confronted him. He and his Czerka guards attacked me. I had to retreat to the deepest Shadowlands, but even there they followed.”

Jolee offered his hand again and this time, the old chief took it and stood up, leaning against Jolee for support. Jolee spoke to Velyn. “That’s when I first saw him. I helped his pursuers lose him for a moment. Do you remember me now, Freyyr?”

Freyyr nodded, incredibly apologetic. “Yes, I think I do. I am sorry about attacking. It’s been so long since I have offered my trust, or accepted that of someone else.”

Velyn sighed again. “Well what’s done is done." Freyyr's appearance had tossed her original plan out the window. Now she had to rethink their approach. Maybe Freyyr could help save Zaalbar and get rid of Chuundar. "So what happens now?”

“That would depend on you, Velyn." Freyyr pulled away from Jolee. "You will either kill me or decide that I may yet benefit my people. There is a way I might challenge Chuundar, but it would take a lot to convince people they have been lied to.”

“How?"

“He has a strong web of lies, but if I appeal to the traditions of my people, I might be able to gather support. There is a legend of a great warrior from the old times. Bacca was his name, and he is greatly revered. Bacca found a crashed starship, our first hint of life elsewhere. He was a cautious old wook, and feared the taint of invaders. He constructed a vibroblade from the wreckage. It has long symbolized our independence. Only destined leaders have held it.”

It took everything that Velyn had to not just turn away and leave. She was exhausted from the Star Map and she was agitated just standing their. “A scavenger hunt for some sword?" She took a frustrated breath. "You’re kidding.”

Unfortunately for Velyn, the Wookie wasn't. “I’m afraid not. It was the symbol of our great chieftains for centuries, but it was damaged a generation ago in ritual battle. Here in the Shadowlands Rothrrrawr fought the Great Beast. He sought a challenge, but this arrogance got him more than he could handle. He survived, but the blade of the sword stayed in the creature's hide. Our tales say it was taken because we had become undeserving. The hilt is still in the court of our chieftain... with Chuundar. If the blade could be found, Velyn, tradition could cast doubt on his rule.”

“Well I would like to defeat Chuundar.” She admitted. Defeating Chuundar would help to ruin Czerka's control of the Wookie people. The thought alone made her regain some sense of purpose. Velyn was ready to proceed with helping Freyyr take back his rule. “Describe the creature. Where can I find it?” 

“Many have tried to hunt this beast, but only a few who have seen it have lived to tell the tale. And none have ever managed to kill the creature. Many years ago, when I was far younger than I am now, a Jedi came to hunt the creature... a proud and boastful young man. Like many before him, he did not return. The beast is cunning. It will not appear if there is an overwhelming number waiting to slay it. But if you gather in small numbers, we know how to lure it out. Fresh blood will draw it out. Before Chuundar's rule put an end to the ritual, fresh kills were often left as offerings in the south of this area.”

“I will try to find it. Can you give me any direction?”

Freyyr pointed out. “There is a place of ritual south of here. If the Great Beast is to be lured out of hiding, it must be done there, using the old ways.” She was about to ask what he meant, but he continued. “The flesh of a fresh kill would be tempting bait if displayed properly. Find an appropriate beast of sufficient mass to attract it.”

“I will stay here and try to think of what I will say to Zaalbar. I have wronged him. I hope he can forgive me. I will be here. Please, Velyn, find the blade of Bacca's sword. I must make things right.”

"I'll do what I can." She promised him and went off in search of the beast.

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Once Velyn had found this mystic blade, which to her didn't seem very important, they made their way back up to the Treetops to finally end Chuundar's tyranny once and for all. Agitated and fully expecting a fight, Velyn entered the hall. Freyyr following behind her. Chuundar was waiting for him, Zaalbar standing beside him. 

As Velyn walked in, she could hear the sound of guards stepping behind her. That was never a good sign. Chuundar laughed as he spoke. “Oh, that’s just great! Everyone is here now! It’s a reunion!”

Freyyr stepped in front of her and Velyn moved back to HK's side. “Yes, son. By the blade of Bacca’s sword, I’ve come to end your treachery! No more will you sell your own people!”

“You have Bacca’s blade?" Chuundar's tone was not what Velyn was expecting. "So what I have the hilt, held by each true Chieftan in recent memory! Even you claimed it was all-important! We both have our ancient trinkets, so who will the people follow now? You? You are old and weak!” 

Zaalbar stepped from beside his brother and stepped by his father. "I will not see Rwookrrorro suffer any more!" He told them. 

Velyn could feel the tension in the room rise. The Wookie guards were already waiting for a signal to attack. She leaned over to HK, watching the scene play out carefully. "HK, when Chuundar stops talking I want you to fire." 

"Acknowledged Master." 

A few moments passed of heated discussion. "You're too weak to fight, old wook, and I still have Czerka support!" Velyn placed a hand on her lightsaber. "We'll see who dies today!" In an instant HK fired a shot, setting the combat into motion. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------

Thanks to Velyn's quick thinking, the combat ended almost as soon as it began. HK's shot was deadly accurate, leaving Chuundar's focused confused and frightened. Velyn couldn't help but feel a little pride in her droid as she placed her lightsaber up. "Observation: You made an excellent call Master."

She placed a gentle hand and patted his shoulder. The droid had probably saved them a lot of combat time and even though his assassination protocol wasn't functional it was clear that he was more than capable without it. "That was a perfect shot HK. Great job." 

"Affirmation: HK-47 exists only to serve, master." HK was more than proud of his accomplishments. Velyn couldn't hold back a smile. 

The prideful moment ended quickly as Jolee approached, not pleased. "You could try and warn me next time you want to start a fight." 

Velyn held back an eye-roll. "Believe me I don't make a habit of it. We were just in a tight spot. Besides," She gestured over to where Zaalbar and Freyyr were talking, "I think everything ended up alright." It was clear that the two were reconciling and overall the space had lightened.

After a small nod of defeat Jolee agreed. "I suppose you're right." 

After Zaalbar and Freyyr rejoined with Velyn, several questions remained. “What will you do about the remaining slavers?”

Freyyr spoke earnestly, with a strength that was newly formed. “We will fight them. It will be difficult, but I swear they won't take another one of my people without bloodshed. I'll send quick-climbers to other villages and try to rally a defense. We must guard against this ever happening again. You will be the last outsider welcome here for a very long time. That is a change for the better, I think.”

Velyn turned over to Zaalbar. She figured he would remain on the Ebon Hawk, but now that he was welcomed back to his home she wasn't so sure anymore. “What will you do now, Zaalbar?”

“Returning home has lifted a great weight from my mind... but it has been painful as well” Zaalbar's tone was bittersweet. It couldn't have been an easy decision. 

His father spoke up. “You have a place by my side, Zaalbar. I would be honored if you would take it.” 

For a moment, Velyn expected him to take it. He had deserved that spot, even if Velyn would like to have him continue to be part of her crew. But Zaalbar shook his head. “I... I can't. Not yet. I'm just getting used to being free... and not just from the slavers. And I have a life-debt." He gestured over to Velyn. "Now that my life is truly my own again, honoring that agreement is all the more important.”

“Listen to my son! His insight humbles me." Freyyr spoke proudly. "Take that good judgment with you and all the planets will come to revere Wookiee wisdom.”

As she watched them speak a bit more, she suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion it her. She had forgotten how tired she had been before the fight in the Chieftan hall. "Freyyr, I believe it's time that we should go." 

“Perhaps, but before you go, Velyn, I must see to your reward. You have done us a great service. Kashyyyk will remember you well past your lifetime.” Freyyr addressed her. “Because of you, I am reinstated as Chieftain. We will return to the old ways, when honor and trust of kin ruled above all else. I'm not sure there is a reward that accurately reflects the value of what you have done. Our world is changed because of you.” 

Velyn wasn't sure of what reward she wanted either. She was too tired to really think straight and turned over to Zaalbar. It didn't take long for him to come up with something. “I have a request, father. I have thought about it a great deal. I would like Bacca’s Sword.”

“I think that would be fitting.” Velyn backed him up, holding back a yawn. 

“Well... That is quite a request. I am tempted to say no but... perhaps I should consider it an investment. Zaalbar, do you understand what this will mean? It is the legacy of our people, held by chieftains... and future chieftains.” 

Zaalbar thought deeply and responded with an intent she had never heard from him before. “I understand. I want this, father. I’ll bring it back one day.” 

“I have no doubt. Let the two halves of the blade be made one. My son shall hold Bacca’s sword.” Freyyr handed the completed sword to Zaalbar. As she watched them say their goodbyes, Velyn almost felt bad for taking him away from his home again. 

After a very gracious send off by the village. The group made their way back to the ship. Jolee immediately found his place in the med bay and HK returned to his spot in the Hanger all while Velyn spoke quietly to Zaalbar after. “Why did you request to take Bacca’s sword?”

“I'm not sure I really know. Father expects much of me... I guess I do as well. I think, when I've learned enough, I'll bring it back to Kashyyyk. What happens then... we'll see." Zaalbar sounded unsure. But they both knew there was plenty of time for him to figure things out. 

“I see. Until then I’m happy to have you with us.” Velyn let out her hand to Zaalbar. He shook it and went off to his chamber.

Tiredly, Velyn stumbled back into hers and collapsed onto her bunk. The whole adventure had tired her out. Her mind eventually wandered off to the topic of family. Zaalbar's family was messy but it seemed that he had mended bridges with them. But his wasn't the only one that came to mind. Pretty much everyone else on the Ebon Hawk had mentioned there's at some point. Well with the major exception being HK, who still had a good chunk of amnesia about his past. The topic suddenly bothered her. When she stopped to think about it, she couldn't remember hers. She must have been an orphan if she didn't have a family, but that felt wrong and she couldn't explain _why_. In fact when she thought about it she couldn't remember anything from her childhood. When she tried, they were fuzzy and undefined. The more she focused, the less clear they got and the more her head hurt. At some point, frustrated, she gave up. She convinced herself that she was simply too tired to remember anything. That would be fine and that would be what she believed if the whole thing didn't feel so _wrong._


	18. Ebon Hawk: Mind wipe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn goes to Bastila to tell her about the events on Kashyyyk and to ask for assistance.

As soon as Velyn got up from her less than helpful sleep, she knew that she had to speak with Bastila. Her dreams or visions or whatever they were, were only getting worst. The dreams had also began to leave her feeling... wrong, as if she wasn't really her. If anyone could help clear things up Bastila could, even if that meant that Velyn had to sit through another lecture about ‘avoiding the lures of the Dark side’.

She met Bastila in the meeting room, already prepared for the worst. “Look Bastila, I need to tell you about what happened on Kashyyyk.” There was a pause, Velyn looked to Bastila, expecting her to say something. Surprisingly she didn’t. “I-I'm not really sure how but I think I tapped into something I wasn't supposed to. Revan keeps appearing in my visions and each time they do it makes me feel..." Velyn shivered. "Like I'm not really me.” It was clear that Bastila was now more than concerned, but like always Bastila maintained a calm composure. Velyn gave out a defeated sigh. “Bastila I’m confused, tired, and even though these visions have been useful for finding the Star Maps, I.... Bastila I need some advice.”

When Velyn finished she watched Bastila, waiting for some sort of guidance. Bastila finally responded with a quiet and serious tone. “Tapping into the dark side is dangerous. It’s hold on you grows stronger and more insidious the closer you draw in to it. It begs you to surrender to it, to release all its terrible power… and it becomes harder and harder to resist. And once you stop resisting, it is too late. It twists you up inside and… and turns you into a mockery of everything you once stood for.”

“So how do I stop it? How do I resist it?” 

Bastila processed her question for a moment and then seemed to come up with a suggestion.. “Perhaps a guided mediation could be helpful.” It wasn’t what Velyn was expecting but anything would be helpful at this point.

“Alright. Where do we begin?” 

Bastila and Velyn found a quiet place on the ship. Bastila guided Velyn through the meditation, helping to clear her mind. The initial sensation was uncomfortable, as if something outside Velyn was trying to shift her mind around. But as they continued and Velyn gave in, she began to feel better. The horrific visions of Revan faded as if a gentle fog had hidden them.

A wave of relief overcame her as they completed their meditation. Bastila looked over to Velyn. “Velyn how do you feel now?”

“Better, thank you.” As Velyn smiled at Bastila, she noticed Bastila's tense expression.“You look like you want to say something.”

“I do." Bastila took a careful a moment to compose her thoughts. "I have been trying to come up with the best way to say this for some time, but I suppose I should just come out and say it. The truth is, I have come to depend on you. Not just for the sake of the mission, but for my own sake as well. I am... I am glad you are with us.”

It was so strange to hear Bastila say that. “Is that a compliment? From you?” 

“Well, yes. Surely that is not so surprising.” 

Bastila and her hadn't exactly been very friendly to each other, so it was strange to here something nice from Bastila.“It’s just…I appreciate the gesture.”

“I know my manner can be a bit taciturn. I know you must be getting sick of my lectures about the dark side and... and everything else. But it occurred to me that I may have been too critical of you. Too demanding, at times. I spent all my years being hounded by my instructors. Being told so often how gifted and important I was until I was sick of it. I remember when I was younger I used to swear that I would never become as self-absorbed and stodgy as the Jedi Masters. It's ironic, really.”

For the first time, Velyn felt like Bastila was opening up to her. She might actually be able to trust her. “Maybe, but you don't need to be like that.”

“I suppose not. But I am becoming like that, though it's not easy for me to admit.” “Being controlled has kept everyone around me at an arm's length; even those like yourself who are most in need of my understanding and compassion.” Bastila continued humbly and softly. “But maybe it's time to change that. You deserve to know how much I respect and admire you. I thought... I just thought I should tell you.”

“Thank you Bastila. I’m glad you did.” 

They sat like that for a moment, allowing whatever awkwardness there was to ease. “Well, that was not nearly so difficult as I feared. Thank you for hearing me out. I feel... I feel much better." Bastila stood up. "We should continue our mission, though perhaps we should allow you to rest another day before making our way to the next Star Map.” 

Velyn stood up as well, stretching a bit. “That sounds like a good idea... And about the visions. There will be more of them won't they?”

Velyn knew the answer before Bastila answered. Of course there would be more. They still had two Star Maps to find. “The path of the light is a difficult one to walk. We might not even see the shadows until we are surrounded and can never find our way back. It is important to remain vigilant especially with these visions. But I will be here if you would like to go through this type of meditation again.”

Velyn took Bastila's words to heart. “I understand, thank you.”

Velyn started to walk away, but stopped when Bastila spoke again. "Velyn, I think it might be best for us to take a day for you to fully rest." 

Bastila wanting a break? That was definitely a first. "Are you sure?" 

"Yes, it is pointless to keep going if you aren't fully prepared for what lies ahead." 

Velyn fully agreed and with another goodbye, she went off to settle down somewhere. 


	19. Ebon Hawk: Velyn's Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a tough mission on Kashyyyk Velyn and crew finally get a break. HK and Velyn spend another repair session together.

Velyn’s day off was rather relaxing. The day started late and after a quick pit stop the crew had started to bond over drinks and food. It wasn't long til the crew started trading some stories from their adventures. Canderous had just finished one of his and then turned to Velyn who was a little more buzzed than she had expected. “So Vel, how did you get your scar?” 

The scar he was referring to crossed through her right eyebrow. It had faded over time and most of the time she forgot it was there. She grinned and pointed to it. “Oh this one?” She took a moment to ready the story. “I got it from…from…” Her mind went blank, fuzzy. It took her a moment but then she continued. “I was on the planet of...” Her memory hadn’t come back, but afraid of ruining the mood, she winged it and filled in what she could. It seemed to work and the conversation continued. Though in the back of her mind, she felt a bit concerned by it. Even with the buzz, she had never had so much trouble remembering something. 

When the conversation ended and the crew went off to their chambers. Velyn hadn't sobered up completely by the time it was over. She was still hyped up and smiling. The previous conversations about everyone's past had excited her and she felt the need to hear more. Being the only one remaining that she could talk to, Velyn followed HK back to his station.

“I want to repair you now.” He consented and she led him over to the workstation table. She laid the droid down and began to go to work.

This time when Velyn worked on him, she tuned his instructions out completely. Now that she had gotten familiar with his inner mechanics, she didn't need him to guide her. There was a newfound rhythm to her work. Each movement of the repair felt too natural. Even with the droids she had repaired in the past, she had never found herself so familiar with their anatomy so quickly. It was almost like she had built him herself. She chuckled a little at the ridiculous thought, her brain sobering up through the process. When she finished, she closed him up with a fond smile.

HK sat up. “Access complete: I have recovered the last of my deleted memory, master. Unfortunately, my history is still not complete.”

She finished her typical clean up routine and sat down next to him on the table when she finished. Her legs dangling off the side of the table. “Wait why not?” She was surprised and more than a little disappointed.

The droid seemed equally disappointed. “Answer: As I did inform you, master, the majority of my memory is still locked within my core. That can only be accessed by the appropriate stimuli. And I have no idea what that stimuli might be, unfortunately. Sadly, it seems my true origins will always be a mystery.”

It occurred to her that maybe she missed something in the process. “Are you sure your core isn’t just damaged?”

“Observation: If it was, master, your restorations will certainly have ensured that the proper stimulus restores my core's functions.” He praised her the best he could. HK’s tone shifted. “Sadly, that could have already happened, and we missed it, and my core was too damaged to activate. Oh, woe is me.”

Velyn stifled an instinctive laugh. Now he was just being dramatic.

“Objection: Oh, fine. Laugh at me, master. Humiliate your pet droid, go ahead.”

Velyn rolled her eyes and simply nudge him lightly, eager for him to tell her more. “Oh just tell me about this last owner then.”

“Correction: That would actually be my first owner, master. The first I can remember. I had completed an assassination in Mandalorian space… though I have no knowledge of what my target was or who sent me." HK took a moment to process. "Regardless, my motor function had been damaged and I could not return to wherever I had been sent from. A Mandalorian soldier claimed me as ‘booty', I believe. He repaired me… poorly, I might add… and proceeded to use my assassination protocol to raise his rank.” HK sounded disgusted with his former master.

Velyn understood it seemed like everyone who owned him was sleazy. “Does no one decent ever find you HK?” 

“Observation: *You* found me, master.” Velyn suddenly blushed, realizing that she had actually spoke out loud to him. "Perhaps you are simply fortunate that my assassination protocol no longer functions." Velyn settled down, a gentle warmth staining her cheeks as she let her droid continue. "At any rate, it seems that my Mandalorian owner finally decided to send me against Mandalore, himself. My poorest performance, sadly.”

“Oh? Why is that?” She asked.

“Answer: I was captured by this Mandalore during the attempt." There was a clear sense of shame in the droid's tone. "He was able to reverse my programming and send me after my own master. It was quite distressing. There was little I could do. Needless to say, I dispatched the Mandalorian soldier efficiently. Once I deactivated, I believe I eventually ended up on the black market and was sold to the Hutt on Sleheyron. *sigh* My darkest day.”

It seemed like no matter where HK went, he was involved in some tragedy. “You are just a travelling piece of bad luck, aren't you?” 

HK took quick offense to Velyn's comment. “Objection: That is so unfair, master! Have I not brought you a great deal of satisfaction?” 

Velyn grinned, happy to tease him a bit. “Do you really want to hear the answer to that?” 

“You are a very harsh master, master. I like you.”

Velyn liked him too. “So can you remember anything else?”

“Answer: There are a few Mandalorian implants that I can activate, now. They will improve my performance. Beyond that, master, there is nothing more I can relate to you. With luck, we will discover the stimulus to unlock my core very soon.”

“I hope so HK.” She sat there for a moment. It seemed like her droid still had one mystery left to be solved. Velyn sighed her gaze falling onto the floor. Her exhaustion finally hit her. Thinking out loud again, Velyn spoke. “I wonder what kind of person your creator was HK." 

“Statement: I am also curious to know.”

After another beat of silence, Velyn got the strength and pushed herself off the table. She stood up, a little wobbly. HK did the same. Velyn weakly smiled at HK. “Well I should turn in for the night. Good night HK." 

"Good night Master. HK signing off..."

When Velyn returned to her chambers that night, her sleepy thoughts lingered on HK. She thought of his creator and wondered if they were still alive. Did they fall to tragedy too? If they were still alive did they miss him? Velyn wondered.

She would miss him. HK was capable, a good listener when he needed to be or maybe just an _obedient_ listener. Sometimes she found it hard to believe that she had only recently acquired him. She liked to believe that his creator was as fond of him as she was, but maybe not. When it came to HK's past anything was on the table especially when he was original built as an assassination droid. 

In any case, she hoped that whatever the stimulus was, that they could find it and maybe help HK uncover the rest of his past. Only time would tell.


	20. Ebon Hawk: Revalation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn finds out something she shouldn't have.

With the rest day over, Velyn and the crew figured out which Star Map to track down next. The crew debated most of the day on either Manaan, a neutral world, or Korriban, a sith planet. Each side had their reasoning, but Velyn still wasn't convinced for either. Eventually, Velyn agreed with going after Manaan's Star Map. The next question, of course, was who would accompany her was on the mission. Everyone was tired at this point so Velyn let them call it a day and she would come back with a decision in the morning. They still had a day until they reached the planet. All Velyn needed to do was to pick two people. Easier said than done.

Velyn returned to her chamber and thought about it. Her first instinct was, as always, HK-47. Though after having heard the concerns during the debate, she was forced to reconsider her decision. Manaan didn’t seem like the best place for a droid like HK. The planet had an apparent reputation for very firmly remaining neutral. Walking around with him could be difficult. On the other hand, HK, had proved is capability as a Protocol droid too. No one had to know of his functionality and besides Velyn felt safe with him watching her back. In all honesty, Velyn knew that it was more of a question on how selfish she would let herself be with this decision. She didn't need to take him with her, but she wanted him to accompany her. The thought bothered her, Bastila had warned against making such selfish choices, but on the other hand it wouldn’t hurt too much would it? Especially when she knew they would be successful in any case. 

Of course even if she made up her mind on bringing HK, there was still another slot to fill. Bastila was a solid choice, Velyn hadn’t brought her along in a while and the two still had a lot to discuss. After their discussion post-Kashyyyk, they had even started getting along. The next choice that came to mind was Carth, Velyn trusted him and they worked well together. Though having either of them might cause some concerns if they were trying to avoid conflict on the neutral planet.

The decision bothered her, but she was tired now after the hours of debate and decided to sleep, hoping she would be able to make a clearer decision in the morning.

\-----------------------------------------

Velyn expected her sleep to be as peaceful as it had been before. She was wrong. Oh was she wrong.

The vision began underwater. Velyn stood on the seafloor, alien calls echoing around her. Ahead of her was the Star Map, it’s shimmering form calling to her. This time she came to the Star Map willingly, feeling the strange motion of the water around her as she walked through it. When she arrived to it, she felt a presence behind her. Her body grew cold as she turned around. It was Revan again.

Velyn wasn’t afraid this time, she knew that this was just a trick of the Dark Side. She had got what she needed from this vision, it was time for her break out of it. When she closed her eyes, she found herself stuck, unable to break free from the world around her. A darkness starting to creep in. She started to panic. _Bastila. Bastila could help_. Velyn latched onto the brief thought and focused, starting to feel Bastila’s influence around her. It was almost like Bastila was trying to protect her. Velyn started to feel the darkness fade out, growing foggy.

When she opened her eyes Revan was now face to face with her. “Bastila isn’t trying to protect you.” Revan spoke, startling Velyn. Bastila’s voice started to echo through the water. “She’s deceiving you. Cut her off and see.” Revan’s voice sounded familiar, but it was warped, she couldn’t identify it.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’re dead.” Velyn trembled. Bastila’s voice grew louder a little louder. Velyn fully expected Revan to grow angry, but they didn’t. 

Instead Revan opened a hand to Velyn. "You have to cut her off." _Please_. Her own voice mixed with Revan's startled her. Velyn’s head began to hurt as Bastila's voice started to grow louder and louder, hurting her. "Please." Velyn looked down at Revan's hand and grabbed it. 

They were transported into a different place. Velyn opened her eyes to see herself standing alone on a beach. The world was now quiet around her, the silence deafening. For a moment there was a sense of relief, Bastila's loud voice and Velyn's headache was now gone. It was just her now.

The calmness didn't last long. A feeling of death crept around her and an emptiness consumed her as if a chunk of her soul had been ripped out. She shivered, feeling cold. “Revan. Are you alright?” A male’s voice drew her attention. She turned around to see Revan with another figure, his form blurred out. Revan fell onto their knees. Velyn's body mirrored their action. 

“Can’t you feel it? They’re gone… all of those people… they’re gone.” Even through the warp Velyn could her Revan’s voice trembling and tearful. Velyn started to cry profusely, she couldn't stop it. A pain gripped her heart. The pain. She couldn't make it stop. Revan's words echoed around her. Velyn needed to get a grip. It was another Revan vision. This wasn't her. Right?

“We have to do something... We need to make them pay....” Velyn muttered along as Revan spoke. Her body suddenly trembling in anger and grief. 

“We will make them pay!” Through her tears she screamed, her voice alone this time. A sudden cold shock hit her as she cried out.

Velyn jolted awake, body trembling and sweaty. She sat up, panicked, tears still falling from her eyes. _It was just a dream. It's not you... It was just..._ Velyn attempted to calm herself down. After everything she still couldn't break the Star Map's cursed visions. Her heart slowed down and when she could, she got up from her bunk and exited her chamber. At first she started to head to Bastila's chamber. But she stopped when a strange averse anger stirred in her. She didn't know why, but she couldn't go to Bastila about this. This was something she needed to figure out herself. 

\-----------------------------------------

In the low-light of the ship, Velyn wandered around, her mind stuck on the vision, the emptiness that inflicted her still haunting her. Everything had felt so cold. _Revan_ had been so cold. There was so much grief that she had felt, she wondered what had she witnessed and was that feeling of loss truly something that had inflicted Revan? Was the point of these visions to help them to figure out Revan and Malak’s grand plan? 

“Query: Master do you require assistance?”

Startled, Velyn jumped, her heart about to burst from the shock. It took a moment for Velyn realized that she had drifted her way towards the HK’s part of the ship. Her face hot, mostly embarrassed that she hadn’t paid more attention to her surroundings. “Oh HK.” She calmed knowing that it was just him. “It’s…Nothing.” She sighed and walked into his space. She sat down against the wall beside him. HK-47 stared down at her expectantly. Velyn knew that she couldn’t do anything to stop her visions. She was even more exhausted now than she had ever been. She needed something to do. Her eyes met HK’s, growing more frustrated. “HK I want to repair you.” The words came out before she could say anything. 

HK rejected, rightly, rejected her request. "Negatory: I believe that there are no further deleted memories which can be safely retrieved, master. All earlier memories reside in my core. Those are protected by my safeguards and would be far too dangerous to access-”

Velyn stood up, a strange anger finally rising to her throat as she raised her hand to quiet him. “That wasn’t a question HK. I am going to fix you.” Her voice angrier than it had ever been. HK seemed hesitant, but obeyed.

He could never deny a command from her and she knew it. “Very well master.”

Velyn grabbed her tools and pulled some gloves from the materials. She typically care to use them, but now she felt them a necessity. “Lay down.” She ordered him. He did so and tried to plead with her in some attempt to stop her. “Master I-“

“Quiet HK, I’m working.” Velyn snapped. HK-47 simply obeyed.Something in her had finally snapped, something was wrong and she couldn't figure out what. She just wanted answers, answers to anything. HK was something that she could find answers in. She opened him up and instinctively started looking for something. She went in and found an area that piqued her interest. She tapped it lightly, shocking both of them. She cursed and shook it off. 

“Supplication: Please Master stop. I cannot see you in danger yourself.”

“Shut up HK. I know what I’m doing.” Her words were strange now and her head hurt more than it ever had to this point. “I know what I’m…” Velyn’s mind went foggy as she stared down. She tried to shake it off, but she couldn't.

In her haze she dropped her hand, touching a wire. A white heat filled her body and instinctively she redirected the power of the shock to a nearby electronic. The electronic blew up. The sensation of the power lingering in her body shook her and she felt a gear in her brain finally click into it's rightful place.

A flood of thoughts rushed into place. The visions, the Star Maps, her foggy memories. Suddenly it all started to make sense. Velyn _wasn’t_ just tapping into Revan’s past. Velyn _was_ Revan. For a moment all she could do was stare at the ground.

“Concerned Query: Master are you alright?” HK’s voice snapped her out of it.

Without fully processing what had happened, She quickly stumbled up and leaned back onto the table. “HK I’m Revan." Words started to spill from her mouth. "You’ve returned to me.” The phrase felt significant. Like she had used this phrase a thousand times over. HK processed for a moment and then spoke.

“Commentary: I am... experiencing something unusual, master.”

For a second she feared that she had damaged in the process of trying to fix him. She closed him up and silently prayed that he was still functional. He sat up and she scanned him over. “HK?”

“Answer: My programming is activating my deleted memory core. I believe I have a…a homing system that is restoring it, Master.” She took a step back.

For the first time she truly recognized him. How could she forget? _She_ had built him. He truly was _hers_. “The stimulus you were waiting for…was me?” HK turned to her maintain a constant gaze. She bumped back into the wall and slid down it, her head still ringing.

“Explanation: I believe so, master. I was unaware of my homing system until it had been activated.” HK got up. She remained on the ground.

Fragments of memories flickering in her brain. “Yes, I think I remember…” It hurt her too much to think. The memory of him teased her and as much as she tried to latch on to it, no clear details came to the surface. HK looked down at her and offered a hand.

“Query: Do you require assistance Master?” HK moved to help her up. Vel-no- Revan signaled him to stop with a raised hand.

“No! I mean… just… Just give me a moment.” She spoke as she took a few deep breaths. HK obeyed and waited for her to compose herself. When she did she took his arm and stood up. One hand on her head and one still leaning on him. “I… I deleted your memory… or ordered…” She paused unsure of the right answer and glanced at him, confused. “It was necessary?”

“Affirmation: Correct, master. Statement: Sith protocols maintain that all droid knowledge be deleted before assassination missions and restored upon return. I have returned to you, and my full functionality is now under your personal command. It is a distinct pleasure to see you again, master.”

“I need to sit down.” HK led Revan over to a chair and helped her sit down. “I’m so confused HK. I don’t remember… but those Memories of Velyn… they felt real, but now…” She frowned staring at her gloved hands. “How did I get here? Why can’t I remember? ”

“Answer: I believe that someone has tampered with your memories as Revan. Perhaps the jedi Ba-“

“-No.” Revan spoke.

“Master?” HK looked to her. Revan ran a hand through her hair as she thought. This was getting way too messy way too quickly. How did she become Velyn? Did Bastila know that she used to be Revan? Bastila had to know, she fought her. She started to feel used. The Jedi must have done this to her, whatever this was. Were the Jedi using her all along? Did they just need the star maps? She sighed. She couldn’t even remember everything so it’s not like she would’ve been a lot of use anyway. She nodded to herself, she needed to figure this out on my own. 

Finally Revan spoke in a cold and demanding tone.“HK I… I only remember pieces and I can’t help the suspicion that Bastila is involved. Until I can piece things together, we can’t let anyone know HK.” She lowered her voice and met his gaze. “No one can know that I am… I was Revan. Do you understand?”

"Affirmation: A wise decision master. Assurance: I will not say a word.” HK replied.

She smiled, a little relieved. "Good." Some memory fragments started to break through to the surface. It was clear now that he was truly hers. He had been by her side for a long time. How could she have forgotten him? It seemed almost silly that they both couldn't recognize each other when they met on Tatooine. Revan felt a wave of exhaustion hit her. "I am going to retire now." She stood up, her body having regained it's balance. As she walked out, she was surprised when HK started to follow her out. “Um HK what are you doing?” 

“Answer: I am accompanying you to your chambers. Statement: As Revan you had me serve as your personal bodyguard, when I was not out eliminating threats.” He paused. “Query: Shouldn’t I continue to do so now that we are reunited?” The question buzzed in her head as several moments of this same routine popped into her head. It wasn’t like she was against the idea, but it still didn't feel like she had really experienced those memories. It felt strange for her to suddenly feel like two people in one. She simply nodded to the droid, her droid.

“Alright, come along.” HK followed her obediently. That night he stood guard in front of her chamber, while she laid in her bunk. For sometime she simply pondered what to do next now that her true identity had come to light. It wasn’t like she had suddenly become evil from it. She still felt the need to stop Malak and what he was doing, but now she had fragments of how she used to be. Fragments and pieces of a life she didn't know she had. Now that she began to remember, would she be doomed to returned to the Dark Side? The thought made her shiver. At some point in her questioning, she did fall asleep and when she did it dreamless and quiet. 


	21. Ebon Hawk: The Morning After

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Velyn gets ready to head out to Manaan. But before she leaves she wants to try to get a few answers first.

The next morning, Velyn or Revan, woke up clearer than she had expected. Whatever fog that had been clouding her thoughts was in fact gone. Though there were no solid memories to work on. Revan knew that her best bet for starting some sort of timeline would be to try and probe Bastila for information. She doubted that Bastila would give her anything, but she didn't have much to work on. Once she had a timeline Revan would make a decision on what to do next. 

When Revan was ready, she stepped out into the hall. “Statement: Good morning Master." She jumped, forgetting that HK had been guarding her door. "Nothing to report. I am at your disposal.” Her surprise faded away and her body relaxed. 

“Oh, good morning HK.” She greeted him with a smile and brief nod. "Come along." Without a second thought she kept moving, HK trailing behind her. "I need to finish some routine maintenance and then I need to go talk to Bastila, see if I can't get information on... Revan." She counted out her to-do list to him. He listened readily. It was strange to suddenly remember the countless number of times they had done this same morning routine. HK remained at her side and offered her amusing remarks as she worked. 

HK's more noticeable presence around 'Velyn' did not go unnoticed by the crew. Several of them gave her concerned glances, but it seemed like most of them were intimidated by the droid's presence. Needless to say, she didn't receive any complaints. 

Thanks to HK, 'Velyn' had finished her duties faster than normal. With just an hour or so until they arrived at Manaan, she had the chance to go and confront Bastila for some answers. "HK, wait here for a moment." Revan addressed him quietly, softly gesturing for him to remain where he stood. 

Revan moved forward and approached Bastila, who was still working.

"Bastila are you busy?" Bastila looked up and smiled at her. Revan did her best to smile back. "Velyn, is there something you need to discuss?" 

"Just wanted to check in..." Revan really didn't know how to go about getting information from Bastila. "So, Manaan will be our fourth Star Map." 

Sounding a little more distant than before, Bastila responded. "Yes, I feel the end of our quest is near. Soon we will discover the location of the Star Forge; though what will happen next is... uncertain.”

"Indeed," Revan responded and then took a deep breath. "Bastila, is it true you killed Darth Revan?" There was a noticeable shift in the air. Bastila grew a little pale. 

"It's true that, due to my Battle Meditation, I was with the Jedi strike team that boarded Revan's ship. We did not kill Revan, however." Revan was surprised to hear this. Though she wasn't so sure this meant that Bastila would admit to anything else.

"Isn't killing Revan what you’re famous for?"

Bastila selected her words wisely. "Our mission was to capture Revan, if possible. It was Malak who turned on his own master, firing upon Revan's ship while we were still on board it. It was his desire to kill us and his master both. Thankfully we narrowly escaped the vessel as it exploded." 

This vaguely jogged her the memory but not by much. She remembered flashes of smoke and fire, the clash of lightsabers, a feeling of anger and betrayal started to fill her. Revan took a breath to refocus, she couldn't get overwhelmed right now. "So Malak did your job for you." 

Revan expected for Bastila to say something more. “As I said, we were there to capture Revan alive. The Jedi do not believe in killing their prisoners. No one deserves execution, no matter what their crimes. Remember that Revan and Malak were once great Jedi. Heroes in every sense of the word. They demonstrate the danger of the dark side to us all." Revan felt a shiver run her spine at her last statement. Just then Bastila spoke of Revan in the present tense. Bastila suddenly noticed her mistake and then quickly tried to end the conversation. "I'm sorry. We really shouldn't speak of this anymore. The memory of my confrontation with Revan is… painful." Revan went to ask more, but Bastila made her way out. "Let's return to the mission, please.” Revan was left alone.

As Bastila left, Revan had a chance to process her predicament. The Jedi were indeed using her and had planned to use her to further their own goals. Even more distressing Bastila wasn't going to give 'Velyn' the chance to learn the truth and probably never would. If HK hadn't come into the picture, Revan doubted that should wouldn't have ever remembered. Or that she would have ever learned about the Jedi's true intentions with Velyn. 

Revan felt torn and full of confusion. She had been betrayed by Malak and brainwashed by the Jedi. What could she do next? She doubted that she could just announce her revelation and doubted even more that her allies would take this news well. Revan had seen what the Sith were capable of. She wanted to stop them. She wanted to _help_ the Republic to stop them. She made a promise to herself to stop them.

When it came down to it, she knew that the best course of action would be to remain as 'Velyn'. She hoped in the future that she could find a way to reclaim her name as Revan and truly make up for who she had become, but for now she didn't want to risk the mission. Not when they were so close to being done. 

"HK." Revan met back up with her droid. She spoke to him quietly, now feeling even more thankful to have him there. "Looks like our predicament is incredibly delicate. I'm going to need you ready for anything. This whole thing is a ticking time bomb." She sighed.

"Commentary: You have always been very precise Master. I have no doubt that you will pick the best course of action." 

"You flatter me." Revan nudged him with a smile. "Now let's get moving. We've got a Star Map to find. No doubt we'll get to kill a few Sith down there."

"Statement: I would like that very much master." 


	22. Manaan: Interrogations and Break ins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan, Carth, and HK get to Manaan. However they have a lot of 'favors' to do before they can get close to the Star Map.

Manaan was just as tense as it was expected. Within the first few minutes of being on the planet, Revan had encountered some tense exchanges between Republic and Sith members. It was clear that Revan would have to be extremely careful of how she handled herself here. Behind her, followed her ever loyal HK and Carth. A bitter feeling settled in her, Bastila had avoided her as the team departed from the ship which signaled to Revan that Bastila was actively trying to avoid responsibility for 'Velyn's' condition. It frustrated Revan that Bastila was so avoidant of even the mention of her name. But there was nothing she could do except for redirect her energy to something more productive. 

Their first stop was at the Republic Enclave. In a perfect world, it would be there _only_ stop. But when had anything ever been perfect for Revan? S

“Welcome to Manaan. I am Roland Wann. As the official representative of the Republic Embassy on this planet, I am here to help all citizens of the Republic should they require aid.” The man greeted her warmly.

She returned a warm smile, finding it a little harder to introduce herself than she had expected. “I'm...Velyn. I am on a mission from the Jedi Council, perhaps you can help me.” 

The representative was caught off-guard with the question but did his best to accommodate her. “Uh... of course, of course. I will do whatever I can. But I am only a simple diplomatic representative of the Republic. I doubt I can be of any use to the Jedi Council.”

“I seek something called a Star Map." Revan knew that the phrase was lost on someone like him, so she continued by rephrasing what she was looking for."It's a remnant of an ancient and forgotten race. I think it would be on the seafloor.”

“An ancient and forgotten race... and you think it may be here on Manaan? Hm...” The representative stopped in thought. It was clear that he had something specific in mind. Revan gently probed him.

“It sounds like you know something.”

“Well... perhaps." He kept himself from admitting anything. "But if you want to get information about that, you'll have to do something for me first.”

Revan held back a groan. It seemed like she could never get a straight forward response. “What do you want me to do?”

“We were using a submersible reconnaissance droid in the ocean surrounding Ahto City and it was... damaged. It took a data recording of the outside of the city before being driven off by the firaxan sharks. But while it was returning to the surface it encountered difficulties and was disabled. Its automatic systems floated it to the surface, but we could not retrieve it in time. The Sith were applying subtle pressure to the Selkath authorities for some reason we have not determined, and were able to delay us long enough that they could retrieve the droid before we did. The droid's data centers are heavily encrypted, so it will take the Sith several days, we believe, to get to its data. It was captured 12 hours ago. It is imperative that we get it back!”

“What is this recording?”

“It's intelligence information about Sith activities on Manaan, as well as some oceanographic reports on the local marine life.”

“Where is the droid?”

“It is heavily guarded, we are sure, in the Sith Embassy here on Manaan. Since we have no remaining soldiers to spare, and certainly not our elite ones, we have no one capable of entering the Sith base and retrieving it. That is what we would ask you to do.”

Even though Revan was unconvinced of why they couldn't get someone else to retrieve the data, she knew she had to take up the task. “Fine. I’ll get your recording for you. How do I get into the Sith Base?”

“There are several leads we have been working on to get into the Sith base. Any of them should work for you, although it might be wise to concentrate your efforts on just one. The first method that's possible is to help us interrogate a Sith prisoner we managed to catch after he tried to infiltrate our base. He is being held just inside our enclave. We think he may be able to give us the passcode that the Sith give their informers to enter the base. He has proved most resilient so far...”

An interrogation would be pretty easy for Revan, but she was curious if there were other alternatives for getting into the base. “Any other options?”

“We managed to pick up a crate of blank Sith data cards the type they use for passcards. The encryption system to unlock them is very difficult however, but if you are more skilled than our technicians, you may be able to gain access that way.”

Revan had to sit on it for a moment. She could to either. Though she was leaning towards interrogating. Without thinking, she looked back to HK, about to ask him of his opinion. Before she could ask, he answered as if this was something she did often. “Observation: I believe that interrogation would suit your skillset the best Master.” She smiled and with a nod returned.

“You heard my droid, we’ll interrogate the prisoner.”

“Good call, just make sure you don't push him too hard or we might lose him. I wish you luck in your task. Should you retrieve the data recording from the droid, return it here to me and we can see about getting you that information.”

The representative sent them over to the holding cells, where an intelligence officer was standing. He acknowledged them as they approached. “So you're the one Roland has got to help us interrogate this prisoner? I hope your Jedi powers will come in useful, this one has been most resistant. He's a Sith spy we picked up a little while ago snooping around outside trying to get in. We thought he was suspicious and brought him inside when the Selkath weren't looking. But it seems the Sith have done a pretty good job of conditioning this guy, and we haven't been able to break him yet.”

Revan glanced into the cell where the spy was laying down, looking alone and tired. She spoke to the officer, while studying the prisoner. “What was he doing out here?”

“We're not sure exactly... If you can convince him to talk, we should be able to find that all out.”

“Ok.” She moved her gaze back to the guard. "What do we know about him?" 

“While the training the Sith gave him will protect him from most normal interrogation techniques, and also from Force persuasion, we have found a few hooks you might find useful. He was with another man when he was first spotted. We think it was another spy, but we didn't manage to catch him. We also seized some personal documents he had on him when he was captured. It would seem that he's married to a woman named Tela. We checked this in our computers and it seems to hold up. We've sent a couple agents to investigate, but it may be a while.”

Revan processed all of the information carefully. A sith, a possible partner spy, and wife. Points of weakness and a perfect way to get what she needed. 

“What tools do I have to work with?” The words came out before she could think, suddenly forgetting that torture tools were _not_ a normal thing in interrogations. Luckily the guard seemed not to process her question fully. He showed her a vial. 

“What we have here is your standard issue truth serum. It should make him spill his guts in no time. BUT, there is a catch...”

She stared at it and then back to the guard. “What catch?”

“Because of his conditioning, he's able to resist it at small doses. But if you give him too much, his body realizes what you're trying to do and shuts his mind down completely. If you do that, you'll have to inject him with an antidote that neutralizes the truth serum. Unfortunately, that, too, has a drawback. It causes short term memory loss. This may work to your advantage, because you can try the same tactic over and over again. But if you use it too much, he may forget everything we want to know. Shall we get started then?”

Revan would lie if she wasn't a little nervous. All of her memories of interrogation were faded at best. Even more intimidating she was most likely going to be going against her _own_ interrogation proof training, or at least one that she had okayed. Revan took a deep breath and then nodded. "I'm ready."

“Let's get it started then.” The officer turned to the prisoner and woke him up. “Hey you! Wake up! Someone wants to talk to you.”

Revan turned to the guard and her companions. "I want to be alone." The guard stepped away while Carth and HK gave her some space. The guy groaned as he pulled himself up into a sitting position. She crouched down meeting him at eye level. As he focused he seemed surprised that they were almost face to face.

“Wh..what do you want?” He pulled back as if to avoid something. It seemed like the republic had used the truth serum on him before. 

Revan opened her palms to show that she had nothing in her hand, nothing _physical_ to hurt him. Her voice was cold and steady. “Relax. I didn't come here to hurt you.” 

“You're not?" He paused for a moment and then violently shook his head, nearly growling at her. "You... Lies! You work for the Republic!” He grew quickly defensive.

Revan kept her cool and continued to speak. “Do you really think the Sith would take you back?" The spy suddenly grew quiet. She watched his reaction and the continued coldly. "You failed your job, you were captured by the enemy, and even if you did manage to keep your secrets to yourself, I'm sure that they wouldn't just welcome you with open arms. At least not with some... repercussions." 

The prisoner trembled slightly. “But they... they wouldn't.... would they?” It was clear that he was now starting to doubt his loyalty, Revan could see it in his face. She kept going, being careful not to startle him or push to hard. If she played her cards right, she wouldn’t need the truth serum.

"But no, you're oh so loyal to the Sith. It might just be easier if we get your accomplice and return you to Sith, where you belong." 

"No!" He broke. "You can't do this to me! They would kill me in ways too horrible for you to imagine!" 

Revan held back a smile, she had him now. "No? Well then there's only one option isn't there?" She stood up and looked away from him, feeling his stare follow her. "Join the Republic. You'll be safe here. You and your Tela." He blinked surprised that she had brought her up.

As Revan looked back to him, his posture softened. “Yes…it could be easier…” He nodded softly and then stood up. “Alright I’ll tell you what you want to know.”

“What's the passcode to the Sith base?” She asked him.

At first he hesitated and Revan was afraid that she would have to escalate her tactics. But he did in fact give in to Revan's subtle and persuasive tactics. “It... It's... zeta 245698 alpha... just... please make sure that we’re safe.” Revan nodded and then gestured for the intelligence officer to come back.

“Good. With this pass, you should be able to get into the Sith base without trouble." The officer handed her the readied pass. "Just don't delay too long, or they might learn that he's been captured.”

Revan nodded and then spoke assertively. “I'll get it done. Before I leave I want you to make sure that this man and his wife receives protection from the Sith.” Revan spoke to the officer.

The officer looked at her like she was crazy. “I can’t possibly-“ 

Revan placed a hand out to quiet him and then waved a gentle hand over his face as he spoke, a jedi mind trick. “-You will make sure that this man and his wife receives protection under the republic.” A moment passed and her trick worked.

The officer nodded and spoke apologetically. “Of course. I'll get on it right away.” He left, likely to get the process started. 

Revan smiled. “Good.” She turned back to her companions and beckoned for them to join her.

“Commentary: Your skills were quite impressive Master very precise.”

“Agreed. That was very noble of you to convert him to the Republic’s cause.”

“It would have been a waste not to give him the chance. An ally gained is better than an enemy destroyed.” Revan spoke. She had said this many times before, though she couldn’t recall when. Another lost fragment she supposed. She shook it off. “Anyway, we should be moving on. I doubt that even with this code we’re going to be able to just walk in.”

* * *

Revan honestly did not want to get into a fight, she just wanted to get in and out with little hassle. But as with all of her encounters with the Sith recently it seemed like violence was unavoidable. They had gotten through the front doors of the base with the passcode, but their plan was shot down as soon as they walked up to the front desk.

“What?! Sound the alarm! Droids, destroy them!”

Seemed like the Sith were smarter than they looked. The fighting ended quickly and Revan was left trying to piece together a plan, no doubt they had just signaled the authorities with the blaster fire. It was too late to turn back now, they just had to proceed through the base and find that droid.

Dodging another fight, they snuck their way into the droid repair room. After ensuring the battle droids there would not suddenly fire at them, Revan turned her attention to the remains of a republic droid lying on a bench. Luckily for them it looked like the data remained intact. She made sure that she kept the data encrypted and placed the chip into her things.

“We’ve got what we came here for. We should hurry back.” Carth interrupted her. He was less prepared for the fighting than she was. Revan nodded and they started to leave.

Their luck ran out as soon as they stepped out into the hall. Waiting for them, were a few sith jedi waiting for them. The sith jedi looked just as surprised as they were. “How did you get in here? Wait - I recognize you!” Revan tensed and quickly glanced to HK, who was prepped for combat. “Lord Malak was most displeased when he learned you had escaped Taris alive! He has promised a great reward to whoever destroys you.” They pulled out their lightsaber.

HK stepped in front of Revan, before she could call on him. “Commentary: It is _not_ possible to destroy the master. It _is_ suggested you run while my blasters warm up, meatbags.” 

“We shall remove this thorn from Malak's side once and for-"

Several shots rang out as HK took each of the sith out one by one. Revan watched in awe about how efficient he had been. This was what he was designed for. This is what _she_ designed him for. “Statement: Threat Eliminated.” Revan sighed in relief at his report and with a smile patted him on the shoulder.

“Excellent work HK.”

HK replied pleased with himself. “Commentary: I pride myself on efficiency Master.”

Revan glanced over to Carth, who looked a little pale. “You alright Carth?”

“Uh yeah I’m fine.” He looked like he was going to say something but stopped when he glanced at HK. It occurred to her that the whole dynamic between HK and her had changed in combat. It must have been odd for Carth to suddenly witness HK's assassination protocol. That issue would be something that Revan would have to deal with later. “We should get moving before the authorities get here.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s too late for that.” She responded. The trio continued to an elevator, which they were sure would lead out of the base. Revan stopped. “If we leave we’re guaranteed to be caught.” She muttered. If they got caught there would be a dangerous break in the ‘peace’ on Manaan. Revan couldn’t risk it, especially not with the Star Map involved. She thought through a few options before landing on an idea. She pulled out the data card and lightsaber, holding them out to Carth. “Here you’re going to need this.”

Carth stared at the her stunned and then glanced down to what she held in her hands. “What?”

“I’m going to provide you two a distraction. We can’t let them know that the republic was involved in this incident.”

“But-“

“Carth I’ll be fine. I’ll head up there and handle it. Wait a few minutes and then head back to the Republic. Wait for me there.” Revan waited for a moment and when Carth didn't take the card she tried again. Her voice softened. “Carth trust me.”

Carth finally grabbed the card from her and nodded. “Alright stay safe.”

Revan turned to HK. “HK, wait with Carth back at the Republic.”

“Statement: Acknowledged Master.” 

With that she headed up the elevator, where several authorities were waiting for her. She held her hands up.


	23. Manaan: Trials

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan is on trial for the events at the Sith base.

Just as she expected, the Manaan authorities were waiting for her and they were not happy with the disturbance. She was placed into a solitary prison cell, guarded by a few Selkath. The good thing was, from what Revan could piece together, is that they one, didn't know she was a Jedi, and two, didn't realize she was under the direction of the Republic. If the authorities found out that the Republic had incited violence and broke into the Sith facility, things would be beyond messy. Revan just had to be smart and persuasive enough to get herself out of this. 

Finally after a while of waiting, a Selkath approached her and introduced himself. “Greetings, human. I am called Bwa'lass, and I have been selected as your Arbiter for the duration of your trial. I will endeavor to prove to them that you are not guilty of the heinous crimes that you are accused of, off-worlder.” 

Having someone to defend her would be helpful, still Revan needed to be weary. “What have I been charged with?”

Bwa’lass looked at his datapad and read it out loud. “You have been charged with initiating violence within the Sith Embassy, murdering members of the Ambassadorial Commission of the Sith Empire, and disregarding our own laws regarding violence in Ahto City.”

Revan needed to come up with a story to stick too and take this whole trial thing one decision at a time. “What can I do?’

“I would first like to ask you a few questions regarding the events that led up to your arrest. I have already been given all relevant data on you, so that can be disregarded. For what reason did you enter the Sith Embassy?” The Selkath waited for her to answer.

Revan remained calm as she did so. “I had authorization to enter.” She watched his reaction, though it was hard to read.

The Arbiter continued. “Indeed. I find that unlikely, off-worlder, but perhaps the judges will be more sympathetic to your view. What is your prior association with the Sith?”

This time, she answered from a different angle, it wouldn't be in his interest to use her words against her. “I have no prior association with them.”

“I am skeptical of that, as will be the judges. You off-worlders tend to congregate much amongst yourself. I see no inherent differences between your two groups.” He wrote a few things down and then nodded to himself. “That should be all the information I require of you, for now. If you wish, we can begin the trial whenever you are ready.”

Revan took a few minutes to process his reactions and came up with a story that she was sure would get her out of trouble. All she had to do with stick to it and if worse came to worse she knew what she had to do. With a firm nod, she was ready. “I'm ready. Let’s get the trial started.”

The trial was different than Revan had imagined, but it went as well as she hoped. It seemed that the Sith had a reputation, which Revan used to support her story. She had convinced the judges that she had been hired by some small merchant to negotiate with the Sith, when they turned on her. Luckily they never asked _who exactly_ sent her to negotiate. In the end, she won them over and was declared innocent. She was a free woman. 

When Revan arrived back at the Republic Embassy, she saw HK and Carth waiting for her. She greeted them with a smile. Carth handed out her lightsaber to her. “Glad to see you back, I was worried for a bit.”

Revan took her lightsaber back. “Didn’t have much faith in me huh?”

“No I didn’t mean-“

Revan nudged him playfully. “Relax Carth I’m just messing with you. Now come on we need to keep moving." 

The Republic Representative, was more than thankful for her help with the sensitive information. She had completed her half of the deal. Now it was time for him to pay up. "As you know, the Republic is fighting for its very existence against the evil of the Sith Empire. As you also undoubtedly know, we are doing very poorly. We need much in the way of supplies and material to stem the tide of battle and bring us victory. Manaan is the sole source of kolto, the most powerful medical substance in the galaxy. Frankly, we need as much of it as we can get." The representative grew a little more hesitant to speak, Revan listened carefully. "The Selkath conservatives with their neutrality treaties seek to treat the Sith and the Republic equally. This includes kolto exports. But a few more far-sighted Selkath see that if the Sith are ever allowed to win, the galaxy will be plunged into darkness and there would be nothing to stop them from taking Manaan anyway. So we made a deal...' 

As she pieced two and two together, she was stunned and a bit impressed. "The republic violated the treaty?" 

"Shhh! Not so loud!" He snapped at her. Revan hadn't spoke above a whisper. "Yes it _is_ a technical violation of the treaty, but it is sanctioned by elements of the Selkath government. We need only keep it hidden from the Sith." 

Revan wasn't in the position to judge. "What sort of deal did you make?"

"We recently began construction of a secret underground facility to harvest kolto directly at its source. We also hope to one day be able to synthesize it effectively. Current techniques are insufficient for the task, so we must mine it for now. The amount we take would hardly be noticed, since most is lost naturally before it reaches the surface anyway. We were nearing completion of the base when the digging teams reported some sort of obstruction... an ancient building or artifact. Possibly your 'Star Map'." Revan perked up, finally something useful for her mission. "Transmissions from the base were cut off abruptly after that, and we haven't heard from the station since." The representative seemed distraught and he hesitated to continue.

Something had definitely gone wrong. "Why haven’t you investigated yet?"

"As you may have noticed, we are hiring a lot of mercenaries around here. Ostensibly they're to be shipped off-world to aid in our fight against the Sith, but they are really for another purpose. When we lost contact with the station in the Hrakert Rift, we sent our contingent of Republic soldiers down to investigate. None returned... We have tried hiring mercenaries and sending them down as well, but none of those expeditions have returned either. The reason we really sent that droid underwater - and the reason we needed its data back so badly - was to find out what had happened to the Hrakert Rift station. But now that we have the data back, our operation is in no danger of exposure to the Sith. And now I must live up to my end of the bargain."

"So how do I get down there?"

"I took the liberty of having a submarine prepared for your departure." He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. "Merely use this card to get past the door behind our kolto packing room and enter the sub therein. It has been programmed to take you down to the station, and also to take you back up should you need something. I would send soldiers to assist you, but we have lost many of ours, and nearly exhausted the mercenary population of this planet."

"No worries I'll be fine." She gestured to her companions. He didn't seem fully convinced, but he was desperate.

"Please, find out what happened to the facility. There may be some survivors left down there, perhaps even the head scientist - Kono Nolan. Good luck in your efforts. When you are ready to explore the Hrakert Rift, there is a door leading to the Republic submarines in the Kolto packing room." He gestured over to the door. "The sub will have a course to the Hrakert Scientific Research facility charted in. It will take you to the Hrakert Rift. I wish you luck on your quest. Hopefully a Jedi can succeed where so many others have failed." He walked away.

Revan turned to her companions. "You two ready to head down there?" Carth and HK nodded. "Good let's go." Determined, Revan led them to submarine to go investigate the mysterious base and hopefully, find the Star Map. 


	24. Manaan: Under the Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan and team investigate the strange underwater base.

As soon as Revan entered the base, she readied her blaster. "Hello?" She called out. The sound of movement caught her attention. They weren't alone. 

“How... how did you get in?" From the shadows a wounded mercenary walked out from the shadows. He was panicked and refused to get closer. "Did they send another submersible? Quick, we have to get out of here, we have to get away!”

Revan lowered her blaster. "Who are you? What happened here?” 

“No! No! We have no time, we have to leave now! I managed to close the door after they killed everyone else, but I don't know how long it will hold.” If he hadn't mentioned it, Revan wouldn't have noticed that door on the other side of the room was in fact closed. 

That was never a good sign. She kept her cool and looked back to him. “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what happened.”

The entire place shook for a moment. Revan waited for him to speak and he finally gave in. “The Selkath, they went crazy! They started killing anything that moved. Someone must have triggered the defense systems too, 'cause all the droids activated as well. I was one of the mercs the Republic sent down here to find out what happened." The mercenary started to tremble. "We came down and secured the first couple rooms... there were bodies everywhere... And the Selkath came out... screaming and croaking their fishy little war-cries.” 

“The Selkath?”

Fear started to radiate off of him as he continued. “They swarmed out and over us. There was no way we could stop them. So we ran... But hardly any of us made it. I locked the door behind us, bu... but the others had already left in the submersible! The sharks... the firaxa out there and... worse... I heard an explosion shortly after the submersible left. They didn't make it. Just food for the sharks and the Selkath... like us.”

"Calm down." Revan waved a hand over his face, hoping to help put him at ease. "Come with us we can take you back up to the surface." 

For a moment he seemed to relax into an almost trance. “Back to the surface. Yes..." He broke out of her trance and stepped back. "NO!! There's _something_ out there... It got the spare submersible already.” The mercenary trembled.

There wouldn't be enough space for the four of them to return to the surface. “Suggestion," Revan looked back to HK, "Perhaps we could dismember the organic? It would make it easier for transport to the surface.” Revan held back a smile and a reflexive laugh. His suggestion would work, but she would prefer to bring him up a live. “Hey! Y-you… can’t just rip me to pieces! I’ll die!!” 

He turned back to Revan. “Amendment: I did forget that Master." She finally gave into a brief smile. “Stupid, frail, non-compartmentalized organic meatbags!”

Quickly, she recomposed herself and continued the conversation with the mercenary. He must have some idea of how to fix all of this. “How are we supposed to get you out of here?” 

“We can't leave until you do something. Blow up the entire station maybe. That might distract whatever it is long enough for us to escape to the surface. But all the machinery and stuff is in the southern half, and that's been flooded! There might still be environmental suits around but... but... the Selkath might have laid their eggs in them!”

Revan highly doubted his strange concern. It was clear more answers were waiting for in the station. “Wait here while I go into the station.” She started to move for the door, but the mercenary jumped into her way.

“No! I locked the door so that the Selkath won't get in. If you open it, we're all done for!” 

“I don’t really have a choice." Revan shoved him aside. "Stay here and keep your head down.”

“If you go in there, you're dead!" Revan paused right before the door, listening to him. "You're all dead! If you want to die, then go! You won't hear me mourning for you!” 

Without replying to him, he marched out of the door and entered the darkened and silent station. The Mercenary had a right to be shaken up. The Selkath were indeed crazy and it was clear that all hell had broken loose in the station. Revan was walking on pins and needles. Cautiously she walked through the halls, her light saber out and ready. Once or twice, she caught herself glancing back to HK for assurance. 

There was a brief couple of minutes of complete silence, until they turned the corner and the sound of whimpering faintly echoed. Revan quickly located the locker. "Is somebody out there? Fishy, fishy, fishy? Coming to eat me, too? You can't get me little fishy. Not in here. I'm safe behind my walls.” 

“Hello? Come out here so we can talk.” Revan asked cautiously.

In response, there was a strange and annoying cackling from the locker. “Oh, you'd like that - wouldn't you? I walk out and - BAM! Selkath swarm in from everywhere, ripping and rending! Fishy move fast and silent. No, no, no friend. I don't play that game. I've got a winning hand right here in this room - my room! No fishy, fishy for me! When the Selkath went insane and started killing everybody, I locked myself in here! I'm safe in here. Nothing can hurt me in here! No fishy food for me.” 

Revan was a bit startled by the locker person's strange words. It was clear that he had been in that locker far too long. She tried again to get him out. “Come out- we’ll protect you from the Selkath and get you out.” 

“No, no, no, no, no. That's what the others said. Mercenaries like you." She wasn't a mercenary. "But they're dead. The Selkath ate them! Lunchie-munchie!" He started to cackle again. "Only the ones left in the south part of the base might still be alive, where the kolto is. Few fishies there! But many, many fishy in between in the water!”

His laugh was annoying her and it just got louder. She snapped at him. "Come out now or I’ll drag you back myself!” Revan told him. 

“Ha-ha! That's what you think! Fishy think that too." HK shot at the door. Nothing. "These walls and door are six centimeters - no... twelve centimeters! - of durasteel! I'm invulnerable behind my walls! Nobody's getting in here!"

The man just continued to laugh and Revan grew even more annoyed. She finally snapped and shoved her lightsaber into the locker. "Stay there and rot!" Silently she removed her blade and placed it onto her hip. 

"Velyn." Revan's blood went cold as she noticed Carth's startled expression. She tried to avoid eye contact with him. "Are you-?" He grew concerned, he had never seen her snap like that. She sighed feeling confused. 

Without answering his question, she started to walk away. "Let's keep moving. We have a mission to finish." Carth didn't push the topic further. 

Luckily for Revan's temper, they didn't encounter any more Selkath. They finally ended up in some sort of space that allowed them to go onto the seafloor. There they found an enviro suit and they also found a sonic emitter, to protect her.

“There’s only one suit.” Carth stated.

Revan nodded. “I know.” She sighed. The only way forward was through the seafloor. “I’ll go and you two stay here.” 

HK started to interrupt. “Master-“ 

“I’ll be fine.” She did her best to smile. “I'm the only one who can successfully get to the Star Map. I have to go." 

Carth tried to smile back and offered her a handshake. “Stay safe Velyn.” She accepted.

“I'll be back as soon as I can.” Revan smiled and put on the suit. She hoped that the Star Map was safe, because she was growing more and more restless on this journey. 


	25. Manaan:  Star Map

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan heads to the Sea Floor to find the Star Map but runs into more complications.

Being on the seafloor was strange, if she had been here she didn't remember it. Revan managed to get navigate past several hurdles and a few firaxan sharks. Before she actually ended up at the Kolto controls. She got out of her envirosuit and walked further into the controls. When she approached the center, she was surprised to see two people protected by the force field.

They noticed her and before she could say anything, they jumped to the offensive. “No - no, you can't come in here! You'll let the firaxa and the Selkath in! No - stay out! Stay out! I won't let you open the door for those monsters to get in! I'll stop you! I'll suck all the pressure out of the chamber! That'll stop you!” The male shouted.

The female with him just encouraged him. “Kill them! Kill them now!” 

Instant panic ran through Revan as the doors around her shut close. She was sealed in. “60 seconds to complete depressurization.” Her eyes scanned the room she needed to do something quick. In the corner was a computer panel. Revan rushed over to the panel and immediately worked to override it. "30 seconds to complete depressurization." With one final tap, everything went quiet. “Initializing Manual Override… success…” Revan gave a relief. “Releasing Airlock Seal.” The sequence was over. A loud hiss began. She immediately stormed back over to the force field, pulled out her blade and swung down at the field generator. As it broke, the two people screamed and tried to flee. Revan stepped through the now fallen force field, blade out. They were cornered, but Revan didn't move. As much as she wanted to kill the people who almost just killed her, she needed to know if they had anything useful to tell. If not she might just give into temptation.

The pair continued to scream, until Revan finally placed her hand out to quiet them. "You can stop now."

The woman kept screaming, but the man seemed to notice Revan, turning off her blade and putting it away. “You... Sami! Sami, calm down! I don't think they're here to kill us.” 

He managed to get the woman's attention and she stopped. Revan was thankful she did, she was close to just giving up. The woman, Sami, started to speak in a whisper to the man. "Eee... Kono.... Are... are they?”

The man, Kono, whispered back. As if he didn't realize Revan was watching them closely. “Yes. I think they're here to help us.” He turned to Revan, clearly ashamed and still frightened of Revan. He approached her with his hands clasped together. “I... I'm sorry for what I did. I don't know what came over me. I... I just panicked when I heard someone outside the door." He sighed and slouched slightly in a submissive gesture. "Please, forgive me. I'm just so scared.”

Sami did her best to also try to appease Revan. “We’re both just scared.”

Revan remained quiet, watching and listening for them to tell her more about the situation. “When the Selkath went crazy I thought everyone else except me and Sami went mad. We had a few people outside the station when it happened...”

Sami continued the tale. “The... firaxan sharks just tore them apart... It was like they were frenzied...”

Both of them shuttered at the memory. Revan was lucky she had that tool to protect her. “The next thing we knew our Selkath researchers started screaming and... and clawing at everything around them. My team... my team was torn apart and eaten before my eyes! Sami and me... I... I thought we were the only ones left. We heard the Selkath outside at the doors every once in a while... and those strange noises echoing through the base.”

“We... thought everyone was dead... dead or insane." The woman started to cry. Revan felt the urge to kill them nearly vanish and now she just felt uncomfortable as they both tried to appease her. "I must have been hysterical, I... I don't know what I can say... I truly apologize for the horrible mistake I was making.” Revan continued to remain silent, trying to run through what she wanted to do now. These two scientists were trapped here for who knows how long. 

“I am Kono Nolan, and this is Sami. We were scientists working here on the Hrakert Rift project.”

Revan looked down on Kono and Sami, but didn't move an inch as she spoke. “My name is Velyn. I was sent down to figure out what happened her and save survivors if possible. You two are both very lucky I'm quick. It seems like I'm your only way out of here.” 

Immediately Kono went to apologize again. “Look, I'm sorry! I've just been under a LOT of strain recently-”

Revan signaled him to shut up with her hand. "We can skip the apologies." She gestured him to stand up straight. "All I need is information." 

"Oh… okay." Kono straightened up, seeming to calm down. "What is it you want to know?"

Revan needed another recap on the situation from a new perspective. "What was the republic doing here?"

Kono didn't hesitate to answer her question. "We had a secret agreement with moderates in the Selkath government. They knew that Manaan could not survive independently if the Sith were victorious.”

“Those thugs would wipe out the whole damn planet just to get at the Kolto.”

“So the Republic approached them about making this secret installation to harvest more kolto where the Sith couldn't see us. But that all went horribly, horribly wrong...”

So far they didn't give her any new information. She spoke briefly. "Clearly." Revan refocused. "I'm on a mission to find the pieces of a Star Map.”

Both Sami and Kono were confused. Kono shook his head. "A Star Map? I don't know of anything about a Star Map down here." 

Sami took a bit longer to respond and then spoke up. "But... there were some ruins that were excavated when we were digging the foundations for the last section of the kolto harvesting machine."

Instinctively Revan knew that she was right where she needed to be.

Kono noticed Revan's interest and protested. "But we can't go anywhere near those now! Maybe... maybe that's why it all happened in the first place..." Kono drifted off in his thoughts for a moment. "The work teams were outside in the Rift near the vent. Then there was this rumbling and my head felt like it was splitting open...” 

Kono hesitated to continue, but Sami continued. "This... this monster rose up from the Rift..."

All of this was new information. "What was the monster? Did you get a good look at it?" 

"It was a firaxa shark I think... bigger than any I'd ever seen before. Bigger than our submersibles. Then all the Selkath started screaming... and they turned on us."

"Turned on you?" Revan finally had a clear picture of what was going on. 

"It was like they couldn't control themselves... like the sound that the monster was making in our heads drove them insane." 

Revan started to things together, a brief memory. "Maybe it was protecting the ruins." Both Kono and Sami were surprised by the suggestion, but it was a logical conclusion. 

"It could have been. It might have a lair in the Hrakert Rift near the kolto vent. Hm... that may explain a few things, too..." 

Revan was surprised. "How could you miss something that big living there?"

The scientists seemed more confused than Revan was. "I don’t know. It seems impossible, but… Maybe what ever sort of power it used to drive the Selkath insane masked it from us somehow... or maybe it was lying dormant deeper in the Rift." 

Sami pitched in. "I think it might live there. Live there because of the kolto."

Kono thought for a moment and Revan listened. The two of them talking back and forth were working things out that could be useful to know. "It could explain why it reacted so violently when our construction efforts got closer to the vent. And also why it is so large. It must be feeding off the kolto. It would have to be ancient indeed for it to reach that size. But with kolto as a food source..." 

Sami snapped, clearly having figured something out. "And all those other firaxan sharks! Those might be its offspring!" 

They had finally figured out the source of the issue. "Which would be why they all swarmed when it called out to them..."

"Children coming to protect their mother." Revan muttered. She understood now. The Republic's efforts had made things even more complicated. It didn't matter she needed to fix this and get to that Star Map. She did it once, she could do it again. "The Star Map I’m looking for is out there. I need to get to it." 

"That's suicide! It’s out there still."

"Well what can we do?" 

The two scientists thought for a moment and finally Sami spoke up, though uncertain. "We were working on a soluble chemical compound that would drive them away. Something that smelled or tasted repulsive to them, but we never got it working right."

"Oh, I think not! Even flawed like it is, it should be ideal for this situation."

"No! It's not working right! You don't know what it will do!" 

They started to bicker. "What are you talking about?"

The two of them calmed down and Sami started explaining it to Revan. "The repellent we made was supposed to drive firaxan sharks away, but we never got very far in its development. The one we tested instead was violently toxic to them, rupturing their outer skin in seconds and preventing them from drawing oxygen from the water by clogging their intakes."

"Which is exactly what we need in this situation! Something to kill that monster shark that destroyed our station!" 

"But we don't know how else the chemical reacts! We only tried it in a controlled environment. In the open ocean, who knows what it could do... it could even affect the kolto."

Kono turned back to Revan. He wanted nothing more than to kill the source of the problem. "We know exactly what it will do: it will kill the shark. That's what we designed it to do.

There was too much at risk for Revan to just latch onto the first option given to her. Especially if the kolto, the only reason the Sith and the Republic were down here for, was at risk. "Do we have other options?"

Sami immediately jumped on her question. "Well, the monster seems to have been driven out by the machinery we installed at the edge of the Rift. We've seen it out there on the cameras bashing itself against the machines. I think if you could destroy the machinery we installed, the shark would calm down and retreat back into its lair inside the Rift." 

"How would I do that?" 

"You can reprogram the harvesting machines to overpressure their self-oxidizing fuel, so that the fuel tank cannisters will rupture and the entire machine will destroy itself. The Hydrolium gas we use is a gas at 1 to 3 million sangen, a liquid at about 4 million sangen, and a solid above that. When it's a liquid it's VERY explosive. If you inject enough of the Hydrolium gas into the tank, the pressure will be so great that it will turn to liquid form and start a chain reaction inside the machine." 

"But we'll lose everything we've built here! All those years of work!"

"It's better than whatever your chemical will do to the water!" Sami shouted back at him. 

Revan thought for a little longer than she felt comfortable. The mining operation was obviously troublesome to the neutrality of Manaan. Keeping it running could leave the Republic in a tigher spot than it would be worth later on. However mining the kolto, seemed useful especially if the sith were interested in. Though if the kolto did end up tainted by the chemical, things would be even worse than if she just took down the machinery. Revan nodded to herself. “Alright I’ll try to destroy the harvesting machine.”

With her decision in mind, she put her suit back on and made her way out. When she stepped out onto the bridge. She quickly sensed a presence. Across the way she could see a huge beast looming over something. Her heart jumped to her throat. _The Star Map._ Revan quickly made her way to the control panel of the machinery and hoped that Sami's plan would work. The beast didn't seem happy and she was sure there was no way she could beat it. Disrupting the tank canisters was almost too easy and as she moved back to let it break down, the beast gave out a loud call. The water around her shook, she tried to stand in one place. The beast headed for her and she braced. However the beast went by her slowly, leaving Revan in awe. Had she met this beast before? She didn't know. But what she did know was that the Star Map was waiting for her. 

The Star Map was just as mesmerizing as the others, but now she could piece some fragments of her memory together. Unconsciously she reached out and traced the systems with her hand. Memories growing a little clearer. She closed her eyes. The last time she was here... Malak was with her. Revan began to feel uncomfortable and angry. Malak had betrayed her. It took her a moment to suppress her anger. "Just one more map." She told herself. One more map then she could help them find the Star Forge. Revan hated that she couldn't remember the details of the Star Forge. All that she knew is that she definitely did not want Malak in charge of it and that she would do whatever it took to stop him. 

The entire way back was too quiet for her liking. She found herself thinking about how the Jedi was using her and had started using her without her consent. Now that she wanted to help the republic, she felt even more confused. Was the only reason she cared because she didn't have her memories? The thought made her sick. But she didn't know the answer. Whatever the answer, what the jedi did was wrong and manipulative. Revan didn't want to her align herself with them any longer. Perhaps this might be why she left in the first place. She didn't have a choice becoming Velyn, but now she did. And now she didn't want to be Velyn. But also now... now she didn't know what to do. All she could do was do what she felt right and right now she wanted to find the Star Forge and take down Malak. The extent of her identity crisis could wait. As she grew close to where HK and Carth were, she prepared herself. Revan could tell that Carth was worried about her and since the memories had come back she definitely felt... different. But she knew how much Carth resented Darth Revan. Revan had done so many terrible things and she could remember close to none of it. This worried her more. She sighed, halting before going back into the base. At least she had HK. She smiled. Yeah at least she still had HK. With another step she entered the base. 

When Revan returned to HK and Carth, there was a clear air of awkwardness. But Carth seemed a little less concerned than when she left. She glanced at HK, wondering if Carth had talked to him and what about. Revan couldn't tell, but smiled at them. They had finally fixed the mess at the base and now it was time to head back to the embassy. 


	26. Manaan: On the way out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan leaves Manaan.

The republic representative met them when they returned to the embassy. He looked eager to learn of what they had encountered down there. “You have returned! I was beginning to fear that you, too, might have been lost. Did you find out what had happened down there at the facility?” 

She nodded. “The Selkath went insane. Your construction woke something up.”

It took a moment for the representative to process it. It did sound crazy. “Something was down there? Living in the Rift by the kolto?”

Revan nodded. “A gigantic firaxan shark that drove all the Selkath insane.”

The representative grew pale at the thought. “That's... horrible. The entire operation wasted by a disaster we could never in a thousand years have foreseen. What has happened to the facility itself? Were there any survivors?” 

The bad news. "The harvesting machine was destroyed." The good news. "But a few scientists have survived. Now that things are better they should be able to be rescued without any trouble.”

There was a clear silence as the representative thought things over. "While I am glad that you were able to solve our problems, the cost may have ended up being much too high." Revan doubted that, but it wasn't her place to judge that. She didn't have the power she would've liked in the situation. But you have done your job and helped us in our time of need, and for that I thank you. Oh, and did you end up finding your Star Map?”

Revan hesitated slightly and instead simply nodded. The representative gave her an understanding smile. “As you can see, by helping us you helped yourself. Perhaps we can work together again in the future.”

"Perhaps." Politely, she gave him an acknowledging nod and made her way out of the Embassy. Now that they had what they came for it was time for Revan and her team to return to the ship. As they headed to the docking bay, the Selkath officers surrounded them again.

One of them in forward. “Stop, human!” Revan rolled her eyes. Of course things were going too smoothly. “We have detected a number of underwater detonations coming from the vicinity of the Hrakert Rift. You have been known to have asked questions about this, and our spy monitors in the Republic Embassy recorded you leaving in a submersible that descended to the Hrakert Rift. You will come with us immediately to answer for your actions, or we will be forced to take you by force!” They raised their guns towards her.

Ever obedient, HK raised his gun. Revan gently smiled at him and placed a hand on his gun. She pointed it down and looked to the officer. "No need to use force officers. I will come peacefully." Revan spoke and then whispered to HK. "HK, I order you to stand down. We can't risk an incident. I'll be alright. Return to the ship with Carth and don't argue with me." It took a moment for HK to process. 

"Statement: Acknowledged Master."

With that Revan stepped forward to the officers with her hands slightly raised. "I'll go with you." 

The officers took her back to the cells where she waited again for an Arbiter. This time around she actually felt pretty confident on her ability to get out of this tight spot. 

The judges were more easily persuaded this time around. Apparently whatever beast that had been down there was sacred to the Selkath. By saving it Revan had easily earned the respect of the judges. She was glad that she didn't use the chemicals. Without any arguments, Revan was released again. This time she hoped she would never have to return again. 


	27. Ebon Hawk: Pillow Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan and HK-47 talk after Manaan.

HK was waiting for Revan when she returned. "HK." She gave him a tired smile. 

"Statement: Welcome back Master." 

HK wasn't the only one to come greet her. Everyone in the crew came by to say hi and hear her story. Well everyone except Bastila. Apparently Bastila had been locked up in her room since they left. Revan didn't have the energy to deal with her and decided just to retreat back into her personal chamber to rest.

As she entered her chamber, she let HK come in with her. Now that she had a decently pieced together timeline, she was ready to tell him what she remembered and tell him her concerns about Bastila and what to do next. HK listened eagerly as she relayed everything to him. When she finished she sat down on her bunk, waiting for his response. 

“Exclamation: I find this most distressing Master. I could certainly have protected you from the Jedi and your pupil's betrayal had I returned.” 

His concern was touching, but Revan sighed. “I doubt that you would have been able to do anything HK.”

“Objection: But I would have tried, master!” HK pleaded to her. Revan gave a grateful smile. “I could have killed the Jedi, Bastila, I am sure of it. That would have been most fun.” Amused, Revan watched him as he processed an idea. “Suggestion: Master perhaps I can kill her now. If that will suffice.”

Revan thought for a moment, touched by his devotion. “Hmm… I’ll admit that’s tempting.”

“Observation: Now that is the master I remember.” Revan held a smile as she laid down onto her side,staring at him. It still floored her how she just forgot him. Memories of her old life were still sparse, but her behavior around HK assured her that there some things that hadn't been affected from the Jedi memory wipe. It was comforting. 

“HK," her voice was quiet. "Am I very much like the Revan you knew?” Her blue gaze lingered over him. 

“Observation: You are different in many fundamental ways, master.”

Revan propped herself up. “Oh, how so?” 

“You have a concern for life that is unsettling. This cannot solely be caused by memory loss. I do not know how to explain it. Regardless, you do seem to be improved, overall, from the human I once knew.”

“I see." Her droid obviously remembered a lot more than she did. "Do you know anything about the Star Forge?” She thought back to the times where she told him secrets. Maybe he knew something.

The answer came faster than she expected. “Answer: No, master. You never did make me privy to any of the Star Forge's secrets.”

“I see.” She sighed. Revan had so many questions for him, but she knew that they could discuss them all over time. Revan laid down on her back, staring up at the ceiling. There was a brief silence where Revan felt herself start to grow tired. But she still wanted to speak with HK. “So… HK… why the ‘meatbag’ references?”

“Answer: It was you who programmed me thus, master." 

"I did?" It was weird to know that she couldn't recall it.

HK happily started to recount the tale for her. "Of course Master. Your pupil once asked what I thought of him and I informed him of his meatbag status. He was unimpressed, but you found the reference humorous. You changed my programming so that I would continue to use the term. It drove your pupil to extreme lengths of frustration.”

Revan laughed. “Malak was the original meatbag?” She smiled. “I like that idea.”

“Observation: Of course you, master. You did then, as well.”

Curious to learn more, Revan turned onto her side to look at HK. Her blue gaze watched him fondly. “HK, what can you tell me of Malak?”

“Commentary: Your former pupil is efficient and brutal, even for an organic. I rather liked him when you first introduced me to him." HK's tone shifted into one of frustration. "If I had known what he would do to you, master, I would have gladly removed his entrails right then!”

“I would have gladly ordered you to!" Revan laughed as she propped herself up. A bit of anger flared up in her chest. Her smile disappeared and she spoke sternly. "HK, If we meet Malak again you have my permission to eliminate him.”

"Commentary: Thank you Master. I look forward to it." His response eased her anger. Revan sighed and placed a hand out, gesturing for him to come closer. HK did. 

"HK." She touched his arm with a tired smile. There wasn't a thought after that though. Revan just stayed like that for a moment, having him there, having him remember what she couldn't, that was comforting, that was grounding. After realizing that she had just blankly stared at him, she grew embarrassed and pulled away. Revan cleared her throat. “HK, I should turn in. Remain on guard outside please.”

“Statement: Of course Master. Good Night Master” HK stepped out of the room. 

"Good night HK." Revan turned back over and sighed, falling asleep quickly and without dreams. 


	28. Ebon Hawk: Ready to Board

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Ebon Hawk has been captured by the Leviathan. Revan and crew need to come up with a plan of attack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry for not posting in a while. I'm about to graduate college in the next two weeks! So I'll be posting more often!

Before any of the alarms sounded, Revan felt an empty chill stir awake. The chill spiked into a shock as the ship shook. An alarm was sounded, and Revan stumbled out of bed and gathered what she could. HK entered the room but before he could say anything she had already finished packing and moved out of the room and towards the briefing room.

When the pair got there, the entire crew were already arguing amongst themselves about what to do. Revan silenced the alarms and spoke up. “What happened? What’s going on?” The room went quiet under her gaze.

Carth stepped forward and pulled up a projection. “We’re caught in a tractor beam of a Sith Interdictor.” Revan’s gaze glanced over the ship’s projection. “They must have been waiting for us on the hyperspace route.” He paused as he went over some more data. “It’s the Leviathan. Saul Karath’s vessel.”

“Your old mentor.” Revan met his stare. The ship shook once more. Revan latched onto HK for support. As the shaking stopped, Revan regained her balance. “There has to be something we can do.”

“We can’t break free from the tractor beam and Saul’s no fool. You can count on plenty of guards watching our every move.” Carth began.

Bastila spoke up. “Maybe Admiral Karath doesn’t know how many of us there are on board. We all have special talents; talents we could exploit so that one of us could stage a rescue. We just have to figure out who has the best chance to avoid capture so that they can come and rescue us later.”

“Do you think that could work?” Revan asked her. Bastila nodded, the tension between them breaking in the moment.

“It’s a long shot, but it’s our only hope.”

Revan paused and then nodded in agreement. “Okay how do we pull this off.”

“Admiral Karath will be watching the three of us the closest.” Carth turned to the two Jedi. “One of the others is going to have to save us.” The ship shook one more time. The weight of the ship as it dropped signaled to Revan that they had finally been pulled in. They were now under the mercy of the Leviathan. “We better decide quick. In another minute we’re going to have Sith troops marching up our loading ramp!”

It didn’t take long for Revan to know who she trusted for the job. “A droid would have the best chance to rescue us.” The way the crew glanced from her to HK, made her pause for a moment. “Maybe HK-47 could come and rescue us.” She finished her suggestion.

HK, of course, was more than eager for the job. “Statement: My construction does include a reserve memory chip and back-up power supply that automatically kicks in if I have been shut down too long. Deactivate my main circuits and wipe my memory chip. The Sith will take me to the junk heap and I can come rescue the rest of you after I re-activate.”

Carth seemed hesitant. “What if the Sith disassemble you before your reserve power supply kicks in?”

HK did not move to face Carth, instead he continued to speak directly to Revan. “Answer: That is possible. My reserve power supply is a prototype yet to be tested. Yet I can attempt this task, if you wish.”

Revan almost hesitated, feeling mixed about the decision. But she couldn’t afford to hesitate, not now. “Alright HK. Let’s do it.”


	29. Leviathan: Welcome Committee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan, Carth, and Bastila are interrogated by Carth's former mentor, Saul Karath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter is a lot longer than expected but enjoy!

It was an understatement to say that Saul wanted to keep an eye on Revan, Carth and Bastila. He dragged them into a row of torture chambers and stripped them of almost everything. They waited there until finally a man stepped into the room. Revan glanced at his face. She knew him, but not as Velyn.

Instead of focusing on her, he focused on Carth. “Carth, it has been far too long since we last spoke. I see the recent months have not been kind in your case. I barely recognized you.”

“But I recognized you, Saul.” Carth’s voice cracked in anger. “I see your face every night even as I promise myself I will kill you for what you did to my home world.”

Saul maintained a faint but smug smile. “Did you learn nothing in your time under me? As a soldier you should understand that casualties were unavoidable. This was an act of war.” Revan felt herself shiver as Carth started shout something back at Saul. A set of memories started to come up in her mind. Screaming, Carnage, the empty feeling of death that lingered over her heart. Revan trembled in anger as she listened to Saul’s words. “In war even the innocent must die. The Sith would not accept me until I proved I had truly turned my back on the Republic by bombing the planet.” Saul was heartless. Words that she used to stand by when she was a Darth Revan. She felt a bitter resentment grow.

Revan was snapped back out of her thoughts as Carth’s anger shook her. “And for that, I swear I’ll kill you.”

Saul was unphased by Carth’s threats. “You used to be a man of action, not of empty words.” He sighed. “Cling to your lust for revenge if you must, but spare me your tired threats. I’ve heard them all before. You are an insignificant part of these events, anyway. Lord Malak is far more interested in your Jedi companions.” He glanced over to Revan. She tensed. “He has great plans for them.” Saul looked to Bastila.

“We will never serve Malak or the dark side! The Sith will be destroyed, Admiral Karath… as will you if you don’t turn away from this path.” Bastila shot back at him.

“Your words are brave, Bastila, but the lure of the dark side is hard to resist – or so I’ve been told. I wonder if your companion is as devoted to the light as you are?” Saul turned to Revan. She could see in his eyes that he recognized her.

“You’re wasting your time if you think I’ll join you, Saul.” He laughed.

“Hah! You’re defiant. I’m certain Malak will find your loyalty to the Jedi amusing.” The mention of Malak’s name stirred even more bitterness in Revan. She hated him. Hated what he had done. He needed to be stopped. “The Dark Lord would probably reward me if I just killed you once and for all.” Knowing Malak, Revan wasn’t surprised that he couldn’t do it himself. “But he may want to question you given the trouble you’ve cause him… and the history between you.”

Revan’s stomach turned. Words escaped her as she suddenly remembered that her companions didn’t know her secret or at least didn’t know she knew. Revan couldn’t risk adding more problems to deal with in this situation. For now she needed to play it carefully. She needed to play the fool if she could. She could worry about the truth later. “What are you going on about?”

At first Revan didn’t expect for Saul to believe her. "You mean..." But he took the bait and Revan had to hold back a sigh of relief. Saul smiled, a smile she could remember hating. “Oh this can’t be true, can it? You really don’t know what’s going on here, do you?” Revan partially expected him to try and say something more, but he didn’t. “Well I won’t be the one to deprive Malak of the pleasure of telling you himself. Dark Lord will no doubt torture you for information and for his own twisted pleasure.” Revan felt nasueaous. She wondered how past her dealt with him. “Eventually you will tell him everything. The Sith can be very persuasive. However, Lord Malak is in another sector.It may be some time before he arrives, so I suppose I will have to fill in for him until then. Activate the torture fields.” Revan felt a shot of heat scorch her body. Her mind went blank as she clenched her jaw to try and keep from screaming. “Stop!” Saul ordered. The shot vanished, leaving Revan shaking. “I don’t want them to pass out before I question them. Malak will appreciate any information I can give him when he arrives.”

Carth snapped back before Revan could. “Don’t waste your breath, Saul! We won’t answer any of your questions.” Saul maintained a smug expression.

“I’m sure _you_ won’t.” Saul turned back to Revan. “However, we both know your friend’s loyalties have proven in the past to be somewhat… flexible.” Damn she wanted to end him right there.

“My loyalty is as true as Carth’s. So if you think that I’m going to tell you anything, you can shove it-“ Her words were cut off by a shock of pain.

“Enough!” Saul stopped the shock. When it stopped she maintain a solid glare at Saul. “It is time to put your loyalty to the test. I doubt torturing you will gain me your true cooperation. Your will is too strong to be broken that way.” Saul at least got one thing right about her. “However, even the strongest of heroes has trouble watching those they care about suffering. The interrogation will begin now. Each time you refuse to answer or give me a false answer, Carth will suffer.” Revan froze. He was right, she could take whatever they threw at her. But she cared about her crew members. She knew that she couldn’t give away any information.

“I want answers! On what planet is the Jedi Academy at which you were trained?” Saul shouted. Revan thought for a moment. If they were as valuable as she thought they were to Saul. She doubted that he would permanently harm them. It was a risk, but she had to risk it. Malak couldn’t know anything about what they had discovered. If he did, all of her work to help the republic would disappear.

“No.” Revan spoke calmly. She maintained a firm stare.

“Very well, this is the price of your resistance.” Saul gave the order and Carth was given a shock. Revan tried to keep herself level-headed, it pained her to see him in pain, but she needed to keep Saul busy.

“This first question was a test. Obviously Malak knew the Academy was on Dantooine, and it has since been destroyed by our fleet! Dantooine is an empty graveyard now. Nothing remains but a smoking ruin and the charred remains of your former Masters!” Revan glanced over to Bastila who’s expression was now in shock. All of those people, dead. The sensation of loss shaking Revan's core. Revan took a deep breath and glanced back over to Saul.

“You will pay for this Saul. You and all the Sith.”

Saul laughed. “More empty threats.” If things went right, the threat would be all but empty. “We Sith prefer to let our actions speak for us. Perhaps that is why we are winning this war.” He “Tell me of your mission. How were the Jedi planning on using you to stop Lord Malak and our Sith armada?” Saul asked.

Revan maintained her focus and stayed quiet. Saul halted on action and waited for her to speak. It was soon clear that he wouldn't get what he wanted from her. “Perhaps you need a reminder of the consequences of refusing to cooperate.” Another shock was sent to Carth.

Carth screamed, Revan wincing in pain. She tensed and kept her gaze on Saul. “Listen, can you not hear him suffering? You can spare him further pain by simply answering my questions.” Revan bit her tongue couldn’t look at Carth. If she did, she knew she would cave. “Now I will ask again – on what mission did the Jedi Council send you?”

Revan’s voice was just above a whisper. “This is accomplishing nothing Saul.” Saul's calm demeanor grew violent and he directed a final shock to Carth.

Revan braced for the screams as Carth was shocked once more. His screams echoed louder than before and Revan felt a sharp pain hit her too. After a few moments Carth went quiet. Revan finally caved and looked towards Carth, panicked. For a moment, her eyes scanned him for any sign of life. If he was dead she could never forgive herself. He took a soft breath and Revan sighed relieved. He wasn’t dead, just unconscious.

“I am surprised he did not pass out sooner. Rarely have I seen someone withstand such punishment and remain conscious.” Revan turned her gaze back to Saul. Saul seemed lost as he tried regain his composure. As if he couldn't figure out how to break her. "I see I am wasting my time here." He spoke almost ashamed. He cleared his throat and regained his malicious demeanor. "When Malak arrives you will learn my interrogation techniques are considered merciful among the Sith. I will leave you here in your cell with a small taste of the horrors you will suffer when Lord Malak arrives.”

Revan attempted to remark back, but Saul had been one step ahead of her and ordered all three to be shocked. The pain scorched her body, her mind blank. Revan tried to hold onto unconsciousness as much as she could, but as the shocks continued she finally gave in to exhaustion. 


	30. Leviathan: Waiting Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan, Bastila, and Carth are waiting for their rescue.

When Revan came to she could hear Bastila’s voice calling to her. “Don’t try to move too quickly, you might not be fully recovered yet. Admiral Karath had his guards continue to torture you even after you passed out.”

Revan’s senses finally came to her. She was still in her cell and it seemed as if the guards had stepped out. Immediately her attention moved to Carth. He seemed to be alright, Revan sighed. “They tortured all of us, though you got the worst of it by far.” Carth began. “Saul wanted to make us suffer. He’s become some sort of sadistic monster.”

“The dark side has perverted him, Carth. Once you start down the tainted path it leads you ever further into the depths of evil. I fear he is forever lost.” Bastila tried to comfort Carth, or at least that’s what Revan thought she was trying to do. Revan wanted to find something to say, but ended up just being lost in her own thoughts of good and evil and where she was finding herself.

“Though I suppose that no one is without hope of redemption.” Bastila spoke as if noticing Revan’s own internal monologue. “Sometimes it is easy to lose sight of that hope in the face of such unbridled cruelty.”

There was a quiet moment between them as Bastila’s words hung in the air. “I.. I’m sorry. About Dantooine.” Revan apologized, as if it were her fault, in a way it felt like it was. “It’s hard to believe they’re all gone.”

Bastila’s voice trembled a little as she held back tears. Something Revan never thought she would hear. “Is there no end to the killing?” She took a drawn-out sigh. “I'd like to believe that Saul was lying to us, but even as he said the words, I knew they were true. The Academy is gone.” Revan watched as Bastila grew frustrated. “We should have felt a disturbance in the Force when the attack came. The fact that we did not is a bad sign. I fear the dark side is growing stronger, casting shadows our vision cannot pierce. I can only hope that some of the Jedi escaped. Vrook, Vandar, Zhar... I cannot imagine all of them being gone. In any case, we have lost our one place of refuge in the galaxy.”

“Hang on Bastila. None of this will matter if we don’t get out of this prison before Saul gets back.” Carth snapped Bastila out of her emotional moment. As much as Revan would like to give Bastila space to process this, Carth was right. They had more important things to worry about.

“Where is Saul Karath now?” Revan asked.

“I think the Admiral left to prepare for Lord Malak’s arrival… and to report the results of our interrogation.”

Bastila cut in. “It is fortunate you were able to resist the Admiral's questioning. The fate of the galaxy could be changed by revealing the slightest piece of vital information.”

“I know.”

There was another awkward moment of silence. Revan turned to Carth, but before she could say anything, Carth spoke. “I, uh... I have to confess something. There was a... there was a moment - just a moment - when part of me was hoping that you would tell him what he wanted to know. Just to make the horrible pain stop.”

Revan sighed. “I’m sorry Carth. It was hard watching a friend, watching you suffer...”

“I know you wouldn't ever do anything to intentionally cause me pain. But you had no other choice. You couldn't betray our cause. I.... I don't honestly know if I could have been as strong in your position. To watch you suffer like that I... I might have cracked.” Carth sounded so fragile. It was strange for Revan to see both of her companions in such a sensitive and vulnerable position.

Revan sighed and replied, frustrated. “Saul already knew the answers to the questions he was asking.” She had pieced the thoughts together. “He was toying with us. He didn’t care what we told him.”

Carth nodded in agreement. “I think it was just an excuse to torture us before Malak arrived.”

A chill ran through Revan’s spine and she felt a faint echo of a voice. Bastila spoke to Revan. “Did you feel that? A disturbance in the Force. The Admiral has sent his message; the Dark Lord knows we are here now. Malak is coming.”

“Well, then we better hope HK-47 busts us out of here before he arrives.” Carth turned to Revan. Revan nodded firmly.

Even if all else failed, Revan at least trusted HK-47 to do his part. “He will.” Revan thought back to her droid. “I know he will.”


	31. Leviathan: A droid to his Master

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HK-47 works to free his Master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it! It's shorter than I wanted, but it's been collecting dust so I decided just to post it.

Sure enough, the Sith took the bait. After a cautious wipe of his memory chip, HK was stored in the brought to the ship’s technician. The technician, the foolish meatbag, activated HK without much caution. Not even a second after the technician turned is back on him, HK shot him down. The first part of his mission was a success, now it was time for him to complete.

The journey through the halls of the ship were, to HK’s dismay, rather easy and no meatbag seemed to even scratch him. The hardest part of his quest seemed to be figuring out exactly _where_ his Master, and her meatbag companions, were being held. His first lead was a row of cells. However the only thing he encountered where a few smugglers, hardly relevant to him. He did quickly ponder using them for target practice, but he needed to stay focused. His Master needed him and as always he would be there.

Despite his initial setbacks, he successfully tracked down the detention holds where his Master was being kept. As he approached the control panel, he felt his gears wound excitedly. Once again they would be reunited. When the doors unlocked, he saw his Master and the others locked into individual force field cells.

“HK!” His master’s voice grabbed his attention. When he met her gaze, she was smiling. It seemed that since they had been reunited, each from their own bouts of amnesia, His Master had been smiling more. Whether or not this was a good thing still eluded the droid. Of course, this hardly mattered, Master was more brilliant and more powerful now than she had been before. This HK was sure of.

“No time for reunions just get us out!” Carth shouted at HK. Carth was lucky that Master liked him. Nonetheless, HK went and disabled the shields and the three were freed. “You may be a droid, but when this is all over I’m going to see the Republic gives you a medal for your part in this!”

HK could careless for a medal. He had saved his Master and that was worth more than anything. "I'm glad to see you HK." Revan stumbled towards him. HK looked her over to find any injuries. "Are you all in one piece?" She asked, as if to keep him from asking about her. 

"Answer: I am unscathed, Master." HK responded earnestly, Revan gave a relieved tap on his chest and then turned back to Carth. 

“If I remember the layout of this ship our equipment should be in a storage chamber just through the north doors." Carth explained, quickly coming up with the next step. "After we grab our stuff we need to get to the main bridge controls. There we can open the docking gates of the hangar where they’ve got the Ebon Hawk. We have to open those gates before we can fly out of here!”

Another chill shook Revan, this time stronger than the last one. She looked at Bastila.

“We better get moving. I can feel the darkness of Malak’s presence approaching, and I don’t want to be here when he arrives. None of us is a match for the Sith Lord.”

Revan replied quickly and without much thought. “I’m not afraid of Malak.” 

“Then you are a fool!" Bastila's reaction startled Revan. "The power of the Dark Lord is strong enough to destroy any of us… even you. It would be suicide to face Malak here! We need to get away before he arrives.” Revan subconsciously glanced to HK, who seemed to be indecisive about whether to kill Bastila now or later. Revan gently signaled him to back down. Despite what Revan wanted to do and how weird Bastila was acting, she knew that, at least this time, Bastila was right. The torture had worn her and everyone else down. They needed to leave and then come up with a plan of attack later. Revan's thirst of revenge would also have to come later. 

“Then let’s come up with a plan.” Revan thought for a moment. “A small group will have a better chance of sneaking onto the bridge undetected. The rest of the crew could make their way down to the Ebon Hawk.”

Carth jumped onto the idea. “Count me in, then. I’ve got a score to settle with the Admiral before we get off this ship, and I have a feeling I’m gonna find him on the Leviathan’s bridge!”

Revan nodded. “Alright. The three of us will grab our equipment and make our way to the bridge.” She turned to HK. “HK, get the rest of the crew free and down to the docking hangar where they’ve got the ship. Can you do that?”

“Statement: Of course Master.”

“We’ll meet you there as soon as we can get those docking bay doors open. Stay Safe HK.”

Without a proper goodbye, Revan hurried off with Carth and Bastila. She trusted HK to get the job down, now she had to focus on dealing with getting off the ship as soon as she could.


	32. Leviathan: Carth's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan and team head to the Bridge Controls where they finally confront Saul.

Luckily for Revan, HK and the rest of the crew managed to draw most of the Leviathan’s crew away from the bridge. As they made their way through the ship, Revan was feeling the exhaustion from Saul’s torture session. She felt slower, mind fuzzy. But despite her condition, she still needed stay on her guard. Malak was already on his way, but if they were lucky, and quick, they could make their escape before he arrived.

After some light conflict with a few stray soldiers, the trio arrived to the ship’s bridge without much trouble. When they arrived, Admiral Karath was waiting with a few of his goons. Anger started to shake her as he spoke.

“Very resourceful. I assume you had some part in this;” Saul was looking at Carth. “You learned your lessons well from me.”

Revan glanced over to Carth, who was physically trembling in anger. “The only thing you taught me was betrayal and death, Saul.” Carth readied his blaster.

“Don’t be a fool Carth.” Saul began. “I am giving you and your companions a chance to surrender. A chance to live. Darth Malak himself is on his way, he will be arriving any moment.”

Revan shivered. He was right. Revan hadn’t noticed it before, but she could sense a dark familiar presence growing closer.

“He speaks the truth, Carth.” Bastila began as if to try and talk him down. “I can feel the Dark Lord’s presence approaching.”

By now Malak would be there in a matter of minutes. Revan grew frustrated. She couldn’t back down now.

“Malak will destroy you, but if you throw down your weapons now I will ask my Master to be merciful.”

“You’re mistaken Saul.” Revan stepped forward and pulled out her light saber. “If you think we’re going to surrender to you or Malak.”

“Such a pity. Lord Malak would have preferred live prisoners, but corpses will have to do.”

They were thrown into battle. Revan pushed her exhaustion aside and frustratedly struck down as many as she could. When she ran out of enemies to strike she paused. The room had gone quiet, well almost. Revan turned to the center of the space and saw Carth standing over Saul’s collapsed body. For a moment Revan believed him dead, but after Saul began to gasp for air and coughed. Revan walked over half tempted to strike him down herself. However, she knew that Carth needed this more than she did.

“Carth…” Saul tried to sit up. “Carth.” He coughed.

“He’s still alive.” Bastila seemed surprised. Carth raised his blaster to give him the killing blow. Bastila placed a hand on Carth’s chest to keep him from moving. “No Carth. Not like this! Do not give in to hate.”

Revan stared confused at Bastila. She was trying to spare him.

“Don’t you understand what this man has done to my life?” Carth snapped at Bastila. “Do you know the pain he’s brought me?”

Bastila placed a hand on his hand and tried to force his blaster down. “Killing him won’t ease the pain, Carth. Do not become what you despise.” Why was Bastila trying to spare him? _Him_ of all people _?_ Revan glanced back down at Saul. Is this the decision that Bastila made when Revan was dying? Revan didn’t know what to feel. She could never make the decision to spare him. If Carth couldn’t do it, she had to. Revan stepped back from Bastila and Carth, raising her hand so slight towards the direction of Saul.

He coughed once more and then looked up at Carth, surprising everyone. Revan paused and watched as he gently called over Carth to tell him something. More surprising was that Carth agreed to listen. He crouched down and listened. She couldn’t hear what Saul was saying, but by Carth’s shifting body language, she knew it wasn’t good. “You didn’t know, did you?” Saul’s broken laugh caused her to take another step back. What did he tell Carth? Revan wouldn’t admit it, but she already knew. “Remember my dying words.” Revan raised her hand again, slowly choking Saul. “Whenever- Whenver you look at those you thought were your friends!” Revan tightened her fist and once he grew limp, she lowered her hand. Carth and Bastila didn’t notice her movement. They didn’t need to though. It was clear by the expressions passed between Carth and Bastila that Saul had ruined Revan’s cover in one sentence.

“He’s gone. He said… it can’t be true, can it?” Carth turned around to look at Revan. Revan swallowed hard and felt her chest tighten. She couldn’t speak. Carth looked over to Bastila. “It is true, isn’t it?” Carth was shaking. “And… and you knew! You and the whole damn Jedi Council. You knew the whole time!”

Revan watched as Bastila stepped back growing quiet, hands up to try and calm Carth’s anger. “Carth, it’s not what you think. We had no other choice! Please you don’t understand…”

“So make me understand!” Carth shouted. Revan watched for a moment and then spoke unsure of what to say or do.

“Bastila?” Bastila glanced over to Revan, fearful and surprised as if she had forgotten she was standing there.

Bastila immediately looked away from her. “Not here.” Bastila back to Carth. “Please… there’s no time. Malak is coming. This isn’t the place. Please, Carth. I’m asking you to trust me. For just a little while longer.”

Revan kept a quiet composure and then nodded. “Bastila’s right. We can talk about whatever this about after we escape.” Revan reached out to touch Carth’s shoulder, he flinched away from her. She pulled her hand away. She couldn’t pretend anymore. He knew the truth and everyone else would to. Revan was going to have to deal with the consequences now.

Carth glanced up to Bastila. “I’ll trust _you_ , Bastila, but as soon as we’re off this ship I expect some answers!”

“Of course, Carth. As soon as we get to the Ebon Hawk I’ll explain everything. To both of you. I promise.”

As an uncomfortable silence fell between them, Revan went to the controls and opened the docking gates. “I’ve opened the gates.” Revan turned around. “Let’s get down to the hangar.” She spoke just above a whisper and walked past her companions. A cold sensation overcame her, and she felt strange. She didn’t want to focus on it though, she needed to get out and clear her head.


	33. Leviathan: Unhappy Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Malak and Revan finally meet.

Revan, felt an unbearable cold as she reached the bottom of a ramp. One more section left until they reached the hangar. Revan hurried over to the door and unlocked it. As they entered Revan paused in her tracks. A few feet away another person walked towards them.

The familiar face of a traitor greeted her.

“Malak.” Before Revan could react, Carth beat her to it. He pulled out his blaster and shot. Malak reflexively dodged shot and knocked Carth back with a force push. Revan stared blankly, stumbling back to get more space to think. He was here. He was finally in front of her. Revan started to tremble, a hot rage shocking her cold blood. 

“Ha Ha Ha! I hope you weren’t thinking of leaving so soon. I’ve spent far too much energy hunting down you and your companions to let you get away from me now.” Darth Malak looked at Bastila. “Besides, I had to see for myself if it was true.” He turned his stare at Revan. Revan clenched her fist. “Even now I can hardly believe my eyes… tell me, why did the Jedi spare you?” He laughed and before he could give her the time speak. “Is it vengeance you seek at this reunion?”

Revan moved her hand over lightsaber, debating on whether to strike now or wait. “Don’t act so surprised Malak.” Revan pulled her hand slightly away. “This meeting was inevitable.” Malak didn’t seem to be at all intimidated by her presence. He laughed again. At some point she felt that the sound of his laughter had been somewhat amusing. But now she would do anything to stop it.

“Even the combined power of the Jedi Council couldn’t keep your identity buried forever, could it?” Malak began to walk slowly moving to circle around her.

Revan mirrored the action, drawing Malak away from Bastila and Carth, this didn’t involve them. “You’re right Malak, it didn’t.” He was right. The Jedi couldn’t wipe away Revan’s identity, not completely. “Just one question before I pound you into the floor. How was I captured Malak?”

Malak kept laughing. “You do not yet remember, Revan? The Jedi set a trap. They lured us into battle against a small Republic fleet. During the attack, a team of Jedi Knights boarded your ship. The Jedi strike team captured you and the Council used the Force to reprogram your mind; they wiped away your identity and turned you against your own followers.”

Memories started to flare up in Revan’s memories. She remembered scream and sparks. Fires and smoke which filled her throat and nose. There was more. Revan remembered fighting, the Jedi struggled but persisted. Revan was growing weaker and weaker. Then a beam struck. Revan remembered laying, laying in wait for the Jedi to strike her. For Bastila to strike her down But Bastila… “Bastila and the other Jedi refused to kill me.” Revan glanced to Bastila, who grew paler and paler at the conversation. “And you Malak. _You_ helped them.” Revan spoke bitterly.

Malak stood a little prouder. “Yes I helped them, Revan. I always knew that one day the title of Dark Lord would be mine! When the Jedi strike team boarded your vessel I saw my day had come. I ordered my own ships to fire on your bridge! I thought I could destroy all my enemies with a single glorios victory! I never dreamed the Jedi would take you alive from the wreckage.”

Revan stopped pacing. “I wouldn’t either.” Malak stopped as well. The two of them glanced over to Bastila. “Why did the Jedi let me live?” Revan questioned Bastila. As if she hadn’t heard her response before.

Bastila tried to keep her voice steady as both fighters looked at her. “The Jedi hold all life sacred, even that of a Sith Lord. I could not just let you die, Revan. Not if it was possible to save you.” She replied.

“Save me?” Revan grew angry. Did Bastila think she was stupid? “With false memories Bastila?! Who decided that? Where do these memories come from?” Revan snapped.

“The Jedi Council didn’t restore your wounded mind, Revan!” Revan’s focus returned to Malak, who seemed to have more answers for her than Bastila. Perhaps Malak only wanted to keep her busy to avoid the fight. “They merely programmed you with a new identity – one loyal to the Republic! They tried to make you their slave!” Malak replied. Revan grew more frustrated. She couldn’t trust anyone could she. Everyone wanted to use her.

“You _have_ been lying to me this whole time Bastila! To me and to everyone else!” Revan’s raised voice shook the room.

“I-I wanted to tell you, but the Council forbid it! They were afraid you might return to the dark side if you discovered your real identity!” Bastila began, she went quiet as she stared at Revan. “You knew didn’t you… but how long did you-“

“-That’s not important right now.” Revan was fed up and she needed to get her frustration out on something, or rather _someone_. “Malak.” Revan and Malak locked glares again. She reached back for her lightsaber. “We have a score to settle.”

Malak nodded and reached for his. “A small part of me has always regretted betraying you from afar. I always knew there were some who would think I acted out of fear, that I did not want to face you. But now fate has given me a second chance to prove myself. Once I defeat you in combat no one will question my claim to the Sith throne; my triumph will be complete!” Malak activated his lightsaber.

Revan smiled, amused. “Just one problem with your plan Malak. I’m still standing.” Revan activated her own lightsaber. Her violet blade shifted into a slightly redder hue.

“I won’t make the same mistake. We shall finish this alone in the ancient Sith tradition: master versus apprentice, as it was meant to be.”

Malak moved first. He pushed back Bastila and Carth into a paralyzed state. Revan lunged towards him, narrowly missing him with her lightsaber. Malak fell back, dropping his lightsaber. Revan went to strike again. Malak stumbled up, a glimpse of terror in his eyes. After swiping his lightsaber, he rushed through a corridor. Revan’s chase after him was cut short when Malak hurried behind a closing doorway. Her saber pierced through the door.

“MALAK YOU COWARD!” Revan screamed and ripped her saber out. She glanced around. There had to be another way. She bolted by a side corridor and found another entrance into space. Malak stood panicked and clearly looking for a new way to approach the fight. Revan bolted towards him, but this time he was prepared. The two blades clashed as they dueled.

Revan was impressed about Malak’s combat skills. Despite her jump on him earlier, he wasn’t giving Revan an opening to strike again. Revan needed to do something; they couldn’t keep this up forever. Finally Malak moved off beat and Revan swiped at him, grazing his side. Malak screamed and as Revan went for another strike, Malak raised his hand and placed her in a paralyzing field. Revan collapsed. Malak clutched his side and the two stared at each other. Before Malak could end the fight, Bastila and Carth caught up to the two of them.

Bastila readied her own blade, the fear from before disappearing. “This isn’t over Malak!” Bastila shouted readying her own lightsaber. Malak chuckled as he addressed Revan, who was trying to break through his hold on her. 

“Your friends do not give up easily, Revan; you always could inspire loyalty. But even the three of you together cannot stand against my power!”

Bastila hurled her lightsaber at Malak, narrowly missing him. With Malak thrown off, Revan broke through the stasis and landed roughly on the ground, ready to finish the fight. As Revan moved forward, Bastila blocked her way. “I’ll hold Malak off. You two get out of here! Find the Star Forge!” Bastila shouted to Carth and Revan.

_Star Forge._

Revan snapped out of her vengeful state. As much as Revan wanted her revenge, she knew that there were greater things at stake. If she wanted to stop the Sith, she needed the final Star Map. Revan sighed and then gave an affirmative nod. Bastila gave a small nod in return and then turned to pull her lightsaber back to her. After Malak stumbled back up, Bastila rushed towards him.

“No Bastila! He’s too strong!” Carth started to argue, but they didn’t have the time. Revan grabbed him and moved away as a door closed between them and the fight. “No!!” Carth shouted and slammed a fist against the door.

Revan kept her grip on him and tried to pull him away from the door. “Carth!” She tugged on him again. “Carth we don’t have time! We have to get to the Hawk NOW!” Carth finally pulled away from the door and violently shoved her away. For a moment, they stared at each other, each taking the time to take a breath. They both knew what they needed to do.

“You’re right.” He sighed and looked away, avoiding her stare. “Bastila doesn’t stand a chance against Malak, but we can’t help her. Not here. We have to get off this ship and find the Star Forge. That’s the key to beating the Dark Lord and the Sith. Bastila sacrificed herself so we could get away. We can’t let her sacrifice be in vain.” Carth moved past her and started making his way through the side corridors leading to the hangar bay. Revan trailed behind quietly, her mind reeling over what had been said and what she needed to do now. Now was time to face the music.


	34. Ebon Hawk: Face the Music

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan reveals herself to the crew after returning from the Leviathan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally graduated college! I'm going to trying to finish up this story by the end of June so stay tuned!

Everyone was waiting for Revan and Carth, when they returned to the ship. “Where’s Bastila?” Jolee asked. Revan and Carth remained quiet for a moment, both trying to grasp what had just occurred. Jolee pushed the question again. “What happened on that ship?”

Carth answered first. “We ran into Malak. He would have killed us, but Bastila sacrificed herself so we could get away.” The words hung heavy in the air. Revan lowered her gaze, she couldn’t help feeling guilty about the whole situation.

“You mean she’s… dead?” Mission asked.

“Malak won’t kill her. I think he’ll want to use her battle meditation against the Republic. He’ll keep her alive so he can turn her to the dark side.” Carth’s answer didn’t make the air less tense. No one seemed to be able to decide on what to do next. Revan finally readied herself to speak. They needed to move on. _She_ needed to move on.

“We can’t help Bastila – not unless we find the Star Forge first.”

Revan started to walk away from the group, but Carth snagged her arm roughly.

“Not so fast.” He growled and pulled her back into the group. Revan struggled for a moment. “We’ve got a bigger issue to deal with here.” Carth held onto her arm tightly. “They deserve to know the truth about you.” Revan glanced over to HK, who started to raise his weapon. Revan tried to signal him to stand down. He did. “Do you want to tell them what Malak said, or should I?”   
Revan finally broke from his grasp. “Fine. I was Darth Revan! Is that what you wanted me to say Carth?” Her heart started to pound in her ears as soon as the words left her mouth. She suddenly became very aware of the fearful stares of her companions.

“Revan?” Mission spoke up, she seemed to be the only one who could break the silence. “What are you talking about? Is this some kind of joke?” Mission tried to nervously laugh, Revan wished it _was_ a joke. But it wasn’t.

“No, it’s no joke. The Jedi Council captured Revan and erased the Dark Lord’s mind, programming in a new identity. Saul Karath told me on the Leviathan and Bastila confirmed it!” Carth’s hostility bled into the room.

Everything felt too hot, too tense for Revan. She waited for someone, anyone’s reaction. She glanced over to HK. A part of her wanted to just make the tension stop. But she knew she couldn’t, no amount of violence would clear her guilt, would end her shame.

“You’re Darth Revan?” Mission asked her, snapping Revan out of her dissociative state. Revan nodded. “This is… this is big.” Two stared at each other, Revan feeling uncomfortable about the fear in Mission’s posture. “Do you… do you remember anything about being the Dark Lord?”

Revan didn’t know how to answer. She looked away, trying to come up with a response. “Small bits…” She glanced back over to the young Twi’lek.

“A few strange dreams and visions. That’s all.” Revan answered quietly. The memories were more than just a few, some were vivid and palpable. But she couldn’t admit that, not out loud at least. 

“Just a few flashes? That’s it? Nothing more?” Mission pushed the question again. Everyone else watched them closely, as if Revan’s answer determined their opinions. After a moment, Revan nodded. “Then I don’t think there’s a problem. It seems to me that if you don’t really remember anything about being Revan, then it doesn’t really matter anymore.” Mission stepped forward and placed a gentle hand on Revan’s shoulder. “You are who you are now, right?”

“Of course, it still matters!” Carth shouted. “How do we know more memories won’t come flooding back? How do we know more memories won’t come flooding back? How do we know Revan won’t suddenly turn on us?” Revan flinched. It was a question she had been trying to avoid answering since she had gotten her memories. “This whole time we’ve been chasing after Malak we’ve had this old Sith Master right at our side, listening to our secrets; hearing our plans!” Carth was right. Revan knew she couldn’t assure that she wouldn’t remember something that drove her back to her old and violent ways.

“Look I wish it wasn’t true.” Revan admitted and looked to Carth. “But is is. I _was_ the Dark Lord. This doesn’t change the fact that I want to stop Malak as much as you do!” Revan raised her voice slightly. The room tensed up again, she bit her tongue down to keep from going off on Carth.

Mission stepped to stand next to Revan and spoke directly to Carth. “I don’t see the Sith Lord standing here, I see a friend who’s been with us through thick and thin.” The Twi’lek smiled. “Remember – Malak’s the one who tried to destroy Taris!”

Right behind Mission, Zaalbar also stepped beside Revan to support her. “I swore a life-debt to the person you _are_ , not to the person you _were._ ”

“Big Z and I will stick by you. We owe you our lives; we don’t desert you now!” Mission asserted. Revan felt a sense of security. At least some of the crew trusted her.

Carth wasn’t convinced. In fact he seemed even more aggressive, his face turning red. “How can you say that, Mission? The Sith bombed my home world! Revan took away my family and destroyed my life!” Carth stepped towards her. Revan glanced to HK who shifted slighty again. Revan signaled him to stand down again. Even if she wasn’t entirely sure, she had some trust that things wouldn’t escalate further. She didn’t want to fight, not with Carth, not with her friend.

“Everyone knows it was Malak who gave the order to attack your people, Carth.” Canderous stepped forward, his arm hovered in front of Carth ready to keep him from lunging toward Revan. “You can’t blame Revan for that.” Carth paused for a moment, noticing the amount of space between the three of them.

“I…” Carth’s voice started to quiet down and backed down. Canderous lowered his arm and stepped back. “I suppose you’ve proven yourself to be a friend of the Republic by your actions so far… Revan.” Carth faced Revan again. It took everything in Revan to not look away from his hostile gaze. “I don’t know if I can trust you. Can any of us trust you?”

Another uncomfortable silence settled over the space. Revan glanced over to everyone. “Is what the rest of you think?” Revan looked over to everyone. “Canderous?” 

“You defeated the Mandalore clans in the war, Revan. You were the only one in the galaxy who could beat us. We have never met one like you before, and never since. How can you even ask if I will follow you?” Revan frowned. “Whatever you are fighting, it will be worthy of my skill. I’m your man until the end, Revan, no matter how this plays out.” Canderous smiled.

“Jolee?” Revan turned to the older ex-Jedi.

“What about me?” He sighed. “I already knew who you were, though it wasn’t my place to tell you. Better off that you know, if you ask me. Does it change anything? I’m not here to judge you. You’ll do what you have to… and I’ll help if I can.” Jolee responded. Revan felt relieved and finally looked over to HK.

“And you HK?” HK approached her calmly. 

“I have found my original master. I have found to you.”

“But you didn’t find me. I found you.” Revan admitted trying to elicit some sense of humor between them. 

Jolee smiled, quickly piecing together Revan and HK’s history. “Think you’d never heard of the Force before. Seems obvious enough to me that it was meant to be.”

The others caught on. Looking back, it made sense. HK was loyal to Revan and Revan only, more so than if he was just another droid with a new owner. The way they worked together was almost too perfect. HK was made for Revan and it was now clear why.

“Wow. What are the chances of that happening?” Mission muttered back to Jolee.

Canderous butted in. “Remember we’re talking about the Force, here. At this point Malak himself could drop out of the sky and I wouldn’t bat an eyelash.” Revan gave a faint smile. She was glad to have her crew with her.

Revan focused back on HK. She knew he would be there for him. “But HK I’m not exactly the Dark Lord.” She spoke, knowing they have been through this before.

“Observation: That does not matter, master. I am your droid, regardless of your actions or personality. Commentary: I believe I have served you well in the past, Master, and will continue to do so… for as long as you have need of me.”

Revan didn’t doubt his resolve. HK would continue to be there for her. As would the rest of the crew, well almost the all of them. Revan turned back to Carth, who had remained rather quiet. “Well, Carth – will you stand with me against Malak?” She reached out her hand as an offering of peace. Carth stared at her hand in deep thought.

“Well, the others seem to trust you…” He met her gaze, most of the hate gone from his stare. “And I don’t see any other way that we can stop the Sith.” He sighed, frowning and strained. “And I suppose that Malak is the real enemy here… I really don’t have any other choice, do I?”

Revan watched him. Hoping to get through to him. “I won’t let you down, Carth, I promise.”

“I want to believe you. You’ve proven yourself time and time again during our mission, but this is a little much for me to wrap my mind around.” Carth thought for a moment. “This must be even more of a shock to you… I don’t know how you even keep going. I guess we both just have to find a way to push forward.” Carth turned away from her, he grew a little irritated. “Don’t worry – I won’t let my personal feelings get in the way of my assignments or this mission. But don’t forget: I’ve sworn an oath to defend the Republic. As long as this mission stays on course, I’ll stick with you. But I won’t let you betray the Republic under any circumstances.” Revan lowered her hand. Carth tolerated her, but she knew he wouldn’t accept her, not now at least. “So I guess that’s it then… we keep going. We’ve still got one more Star Map to uncover if we’re going to find that Star Forge and save Bastila, so let’s do it before it’s too late.”

Carth went back to his quarters. Revan turned back to the rest of the crew, who all seemed to feel as overwhelmed and mixed as she did. Revan sighed, there was no point in trying to solve something now. “We’ll discuss this all later.” She addressed her crew. “For now, everyone get some rest. We all deserve that much.” With the crew dispersed to their own spaces, Revan and HK were left alone. Revan didn’t speak, she simply went back to her chamber, leaving him to his post. She needed some sleep.


	35. Ebon Hawk: Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan spends sometime in thought.

The next day, Revan refused to leave her room. When HK noticed that everyone else on the crew had eaten their breakfast, HK approached Revan to offered to escort her to eat. Revan declined and told him to continue to stand guard. She needed time and space. 

Inside her room, Revan remained quiet. Her mind running through a countless scenarios and asking a thousand different questions.

She felt overwhelmed. It wasn’t until her stomach growled, that she had to stop her pondering. _I should probably get something to eat_ , she quietly resigned. Slightly irritated, Revan stepped out of her room, her eyes avoiding HK as she spoke to him. “HK please fetch me a meal. I’ll be waiting in the room.” Without hearing his response, she returned back into the room. HK returned some time later and stayed to watch her eat, per her request.

As she ate, Revan was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what to do next. Her secret was out in the open for everyone to see. Carth hated her, Bastila was missing and they were now in a rush to track down the Star Forge. After confronting Malak, Revan was forced to question her own morals, her true motivation in all this.

She didn’t feel attached to the Jedi. What she could remember of them, she didn’t like. She remembered being unheard, being limited, being told to do what’s right, but only in a way that the Jedi approved of and only when allowed to act. Was it so bad to be free of that? Maybe the Sith had a point. They were free of the Jedi’s red tape. They were free to do what they felt is right, what they felt like doing. Revan placed her fork down and shook her head.

No. That wasn’t right either. Revan frowned. What had gone wrong? As hard as she tried she couldn’t remember everything about her past, especially the past before her time as a Sith Lord. All she _could_ remember were feelings... the feeling of being helpless, of being angry and hurt as the Jedi turned her away. But the details were fuzzy and it made her even more frustrated thinking about it. She glanced down at her bowl, empty. Despite what she was _trying_ to accomplish with her movement, her revolution, her empire… it wasn’t right. She hurt so many people, done so many atrocities. Not only her but the established system she helped create. 

“I was wrong.” She sighed out loud, the words hung in the air after she spoke them. She placed the bowl aside and stood up, pacing the room in thought. Revan with a calm and structured tone. “HK I tried to do right under the Jedi. When the Jedi didn’t listen… I tried to do what I thought was right through my own way... through the Sith” She tense and continued. “But that was wrong too. I see it now. HK we need to fix this... I need to fix this.” Revan turned to her droid. Her blue eyes full of determination, hands on his shoulders. “However I feel about the Jedi Council. Malak and the Sith cannot be allowed to continue their plans. We’re going to help the republic defeat them. Can I count on you?”

HK said nothing, in fact he had remained quiet throughout her meal. Still Revan knew that whatever he thought, he would be there for her. He would always be there for her. After a moment, HK nodded. Revan smiled relieved and gave his chest a pleased pat. “Good. I’m going to rest some more. You can keep watch outside.

“Of course Master.”

* * *

The ship had been rather quiet since the revelation after his Master’s return from the Leviathan. Very few of the crew members roamed the ship and almost no one came near his master’s chamber. HK could understand. They were afraid of her and rightfully so. She could be quite vicious when she wanted to be and with the reveal of his Master’s true identity, Hk could see why they were avoidant of her at least for the time being. At the same time, it was rather odd to observe his Master be... docile in her thoughts within the room. It confused him... she confused him. Still he could see the conviction within her and if she was determined to defeat what she had created, he would be there with her. 

As he was stationed outside, HK noticed Carth watching him from a distance. Carth, though a simple whiny meatbag, had somehow managed to gain his Master’s favor and trust. HK knew that his sudden hate toward his master, caused her great distress. HK only needed a simple nod for her and with a well aimed shot, Carth would no longer be a problem. 

The meatbag paced around the ship, not so 'sneakily', eyeing HK and the master’s chambers. Eventually Carth got close enough to speak, HK addressed him. “Query: Is there something that you need?”

“I…uh…well sort of.” Carth hesitated, tense and fidgety. “Be honest with me HK. Did you and Vel-“ He stopped to correct himself. “and Revan… Did you know about her identity, you know, before we were captured on the Leviathan?”

HK didn’t quite know how to answer this. He had promised his Master to remain quiet and even though his promise might not have mattered, since everyone aboard knew the truth about her, he still felt his duty to uphold his part and loyalty. The droid responded vaguely, attempting to find a potential work around to responding to the meatbag's question. “Statement: We only became aware of her situation recently.”

Carth listened and seemed to attempt to try and understand the answer. He could practically see the gears in his meaty brain smoking. “So you did know. But why didn’t she say anything? What was her goal?” 

“Commentary: My Master feared you and the rest of the crew of the Ebon Hawk would judge her for her past deeds, though I do not fully understand what she had to fear.”

“HK is she… still Revan?”

Did the meatbag have to ask such vague and redundant questions? HK sighed. “I assume you mean to ask if my Master still behaves as she did during her reign as the Dark Lord.” Carth nodded. “Observation: My Master continues to be as determined and as powerful as she was during her time as a Dark Lord. But she is also... different now.” HK was cautious in his wording. “She certainly has developed a greater and more disturbing sense of empathy for others. Especially when it comes to the crew on the Ebon Hawk. She is somehow freer and was... happier here.”

“But can we trust her?” Carth asked, the tension in his voice annoyed HK and he knew that Carth would never accept his answer fully. HK refused to speak further, but after several long moments in thought, Carth seemed to have come up with an answer himself. “Thank you HK.” Carth finally spoke quietly and walked away. His demeanor almost defeated. Carth had always been strange, but perhaps HK wouldn’t have to worry about dealing with him after all. 


	36. Ebon Hawk: Before Korriban

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew is approaching the final Star Map on Korriban. Revan's anxieties on her past start to set in.

“Lord Revan?” Revan opened her eyes, facing off a cliff over Korriban’s landscape. She turned around to see a Sith Operative holding out a data pad to her. “I was hoping to get your input on our latest training routines.” Revan stifled a sigh and took the data pad. She hated being on Korriban, though she could never quite pinpoint the reason. Revan was proud of her Academy their. The soldiers trained there were strong allies, loyal to her cause and to their mission. Still it felt oppressive in a sense, most of the agents there often tried to win her favor and butted their noses into everything she did. If they truly wanted to move up, they would leave her alone and allow her to work on things in peace. After glancing through the chart, she nodded and handed the pad back to him. “Well done. Send a copy to me and I can review it further when I meet with Malak.”

The Operative gave her a small relieved smile. “Understood my Lord. I’ll get that done right away.” He walked away. Revan released the sigh she had been holding onto and turned around to look back at the view…

The surroundings shifted. She was a little younger now, still naïve in her plans and aspirations. She stood in a darkened tomb, her lightsaber as a make-shift torch. The air had began to move as she approached a river. Her nose burned and she reflexively placed her arm out to stop the person behind her. Yes, someone was with her. “It’s acid Malak.” She spoke sharply.

“I can see that Revan.” He spoke annoyed behind him. Ever since they came to Korriban they had grown a bit more aggressive to each other. But it was just the stress of it all… at least that’s what Revan wished to believe.

A flash and the river froze over. Closed her eyes and stepped out onto the river. When she opened her eyes, she was in a separate chamber. The Star Map laid in front of her. Her foot pressed down and crumbled something underneath her. Her attention snapped down to see what had happened. Bones. There were bones everywhere. Blood seeped out from under her heel. She stepped back as the Star Map turned red, a figure appearing in front of her. “Revan.”

Revan opened her eyes to find herself laying in her bunk. She sighed and listened for a moment. The ship was quiet though it didn’t help with her anxiety. They were heading for the last Star Map on Korriban, the Sith Homeworld. She dreaded it, but without Bastila among the crew she knew she had to be the one to go. Whether she was ready or not, she wasn’t sure. There was still a lot to remember about her past self, and she wondered if she would even want to remember it all. She sighed again and turned over, half-expecting HK to be at the door. He wasn’t, she frowned slightly disappointed. It felt like forever that Revan just laid there in the partial darkness, the only lights speckled on some of the walls by the door and along the floor. Her eyes grew heavy, her mind still trying to loop on her thoughts and partial memories. Revan slipped back into sleep. 

* * *

When Revan next awoke, HK was in her room and offered her some food to start her day. She took it with a quiet smile and nod. Her mind was a little clearer now, but she still felt the nagging anxiety and fear gnawing at her gut. Letting it fester wouldn’t do any good, when she had finished, she and HK went off to their morning meeting.

The ship was fast approaching Korriban and Revan could sense it in her bones.

The meeting, on moving forward to their quest to the Star Forge, was even more awkward than Revan had expected. The moment she stepped into the room, it was clear that despite the crew’s acceptance of her identity, there was a palpable unease surrounding it. Revan could only hope that through her actions she could prove herself and alleviate some of the tension. Of course her being on Korriban, would not help their concerns. But everyone knew that it was unavoidable. Like it or Not, they needed _her_ to get the Star Map.

It was an unspoken truth that HK would be accompanying her. The crew knew that they were attached at the hip and now they knew why. But the real question in the room, was who else would accompany her. In truth, Revan didn’t want anyone else to join her. This place was… personal… something she wanted to deal with alone. But she knew how suspicious that would seem.

“I’m coming with you.” Carth startled Revan from her thoughts. She met his stare, vengeful and pained. “Just because you’re the only one that can reach the Star Map, doesn’t mean I trust you.”

Revan felt hot, the rest of the crew’s eyes focused on her to see how she would respond. She wondered if the rest of the crew secretly felt the same. “Carth.” There was a moment of pause as she tried to collect her thoughts. Finally, she spoke. “I understand you don’t trust me, but let’s think about it. But if something happens to me.” Her anxiety started to creep up within her. She swallowed it down. “If something happens to me. _You_ have to lead this mission. I need to do this alone.” Carth, and everyone else, went quiet. Revan felt guilty and spoke again, trying to correct her statement. “You can’t come into the Sith Academy with you, but you can accompany as far as they allow. We just can’t risk both us, not when we’ve already lost Bastila.”

It took a few minutes of uncomfortable silence before someone broke the silence. “She has a point.” The attention focused on Jolee, who had began to help Revan. “You two have been since the beginning. If something were to happen to the both you…”

“We’d be in serious trouble.” Mission.

Slowly but surely, the rest of the crew came to agree with Revan’s proposal. Carth eventually caved into the pressure and sighed. “Very well.”

Revan let out a small breath. “Then it’s decided. Once we get onto Korriban. Carth will escort me and HK to the academy. When we’ve obtained the Star Map, we’ll rendezvous back with him and return the Ebon Hawk.”

The meeting ended after a few other issues were addressed. Revan went to leave to get ready, but she was stopped by Carth, who seemed even more angered than earlier. Revan placed a low-raised hand out to signal HK to stand down. An instinctive act in order to keep things civil. Carth wouldn’t try anything despite how he felt towards her.

“I may have agreed to this plan, but I just wanted to remind you. I will do what it takes to complete this mission and help the Republic.” Carth kept her stare for a moment and she finally nodded.

“I understand.”

Carth’s anger seemed to fizzle out after a moment. For just a brief second, Revan could see how conflicted he looked, but he shook if off and walked away, leaving Revan and HK to get prepared for their Mission on their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Starting to break through some writer's block! Starting to work on some non-star wars fics but I'll keep updating here so no worries!


	37. Korriban: Dreshdae Colony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan and HK land on Korriban.

It felt weird to be on Korriban, to say the very least. As Revan walked into the main center, it felt like she was walking through a distorted dream, half familiar yet different in ways she hadn’t expected.

When she and Carth split up, she thought she would be a bit more at ease. She wasn’t.

All of her senses were heightened as she walked around the main area. She approached others, cautiously, to try and gather some more information on the Academy. Very few people were willing to speak with her and even fewer had anything meaningful to say. As much as she didn’t want to, she knew that she _would_ in fact have to enter the academy as a student in disguise. The thought made her sick. The idea of the Sith Academy brought her unease. A complicated mix of the fear of facing her past and some old resentment the Academy that lingered from her past self. At least she had HK, by her side. His presence made her feel more secure. Despite her complex feelings, they had a job to do and Revan needed to get into the Academy.

Revan walked calmly, or as calmly as she could, through the halls of the colony linked to the Sith Academy.

“You! You there!” Revan halted in her tracks and turned her head to see a man with three other people. “You have the look of someone not quite as dense as these hopefuls. I require your aid for a moment.” Revan sighed and walked over to him. “Let me pose a question to you. These hopefuls will never survive in the academy. A lesson must be taught, here, but I am at a loss as to what form it should take.” Revan glanced back to the ‘students’ who were clearly fearful of what she had to say.

“Advisement: Evisceration works well. Electrocution and blunt trauma also work well, I understand.” HK advised her.

“I wasn’t talking to you!” The guy snapped at HK. He continue talking to Revan. “I’m thinking to spare them the effort of being killed and do it myself. Perhaps I shall turn their skin inside out? Or Force Lightning? It is a most impressive display. Or perhaps a bit of humiliation is in order? I could easily strip off their tunics and make them run through the colony. Or they could lose all control of their bodily functions… what do you think? I just can’t seem to decide.”

“Why? What did they do?”

Revan met stares with one of the students, who started to plead with her. “We didn’t do anything! Please! Help us!!”

“Silence!” He shouted. “It’s not what they did so much as what they didn’t do… which is prove themselves worthy. I’m exhausted from dealing with their mewlings… so please decide for me, will you?”

Revan glanced between the students and their ‘master’. The ‘master’ seemed incompetent himself. He was hardly one to make calls like this, that Revan could tell right away. Though as much as it frustrated her, Revan knew that she had to make some kind of decision. “Humiliation then, do with that what you will.” She told him coldly.

“Hmmm. Perhaps having a bunch of hopefuls soiling themselves would be somewhat amusing.” The man started to smile. A little to pleased with himself. “Let’s see, shall we?”

Revan turned away from him, letting out an unamused sigh. The entire exchange had been a waste of time. She had to keep moving. As they walked over to leave the corridor out to the entrance of the Academy, Revan and her droid were approached by a group of Sith, most likely apprentices. _Great more Sith._

Revan could tell by the way they acted; they were trying too hard to prove themselves. The leader of the group stepped forward to get a better look at Revan. “Look here, my dear friends. We have a newcomer to our little colony. A Jedi, no less. I don’t believe I’ve seen this one before, have you?”

Another one sneered. “I hate Jedi… and these fallen ones are worse! They always get into the academy, and they think they’re better than the rest of us!”

“Looks pretty fresh to me, Lashowe.”

_Lashowe, so that was the leader’s name._

“That’s what I thought. Well, stranger… I don’t know whether you’re aware of this or not, but here on Korriban the Sith do as they please. And we are Sith. Quite literally, whether you or die depends upon our whim. What do you think of that, hmm?”

Revan was annoyed rather than amused by their light threats. “You can try to kill me. You’d fail, but you can try.”

“Commentary: That’s the way to tell the meatbags, master! Charging weapons, just in case. This should be fun!” Revan smiled a bit amused by his enthusiasm and held out her hand, readied to signal HK on what to do.

“Those are very brave words for such an insignificant person.” Insignificant… The word struck a nerve in Revan, setting off a strange anger. An instinct to strike them all done in one swing. “Do you not realize how many Sith are here in Dreshdae?” Lashowe continued.

Revan’s patience wore even more thin. “If you really want a fight just make the first move. It’ll be your last.” Revan threatened, her free hand visibly hovering over her lightsaber handle.

“What?!” Lashowe stepped back surprised as if he wasn’t expecting her to stand her ground. It seemed like they were all talk.

“Heh… ha ha! I think someone just stood up to you, Lashowe.” One of the lackey’s laughed.

“Shut up, fool! Unless you want to be next!” Lashowe snapped back. Though Lashowe couldn’t threaten Revan like that. Lashowe glared at Revan for a moment, attempting to gauge if they could take her or not.

After a moment of tension, the group stood down. “Fine, we’ll go. As for you… I’ll find you later. Trust me on that.” Lashowe told her. Revan watched as the group walked away, she lowered her hand and turned back to HK. Her body still on edge.

“Observation: We certainly could have taken them out without much effort master.” HK informed him, slightly disappointed. Revan nodded. The frustration of being here floating below the surface.

“They aren’t worth it HK.” She sighed to ease her personal tension. Her voice lowered to a mutter, barely loud enough for HK to hear. “Though if we run into one more annoying Sith, I might just change my mind.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to working on this story after working on something else!


	38. Korriban: Thugs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan and HK encounter a group of thugs.

Korriban loved to test Revan’s patience. In order to get into the Sith Academy she needed to gain some sort of medallion to prove her worth and get into the Sith Academy. Irritated, she headed back to the main colony center. If she couldn’t find a way to get one, she might need to get Carth’s help. Which was something she would’ve preferred to avoid.

A group of thugs approached her as she made her way back. “What’s this? Looks like we found ourselves a bit of sport, my friends.”

Revan tensed carefully sizing up the small group. They didn’t seem like much of a threat.

“This is good: I want to celebrate my acceptance into the academy!” Another member snapped.

 _Acceptance into the Academy._ Revan honed in on the words. More than likely they had a medallion…

“Me too. So how about it, chump?” The leader focused on Revan. “Ready to die? I’m eager to blow off some steam after those tests.”

It wasn’t a method that she would’ve gone with, still she knew it would work. “Are you sure _you_ want to die?” She replied, correcting him. A quick glance over to HK, assured that he was readying his blaster. She readied her hand, a strange and eager feeling beginning to overwhelm her.

The thug leader grew furious. “Why you little—” With one step towards her, he sealed his fate. Revan stepped to the side and she signaled HK. Not even a minute had passed before the entire group had been gunned down.

“Targets eliminated.” HK informed her and lowered his gun.

Revan remained over them for a moment, a strange relief bringing a smile to her lips. “Thank you HK.” She spoke, forcefully dropping her smile. She crouched down to go through the thugs’ belongings.

As she had expected the one who had bragged about their acceptance had a medallion among their things. Revan swiped it and stood back up, flashing HK the medallion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter, didn't know where to put it!


	39. Korriban: Enter the Academy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan finally gets accepted into the Academy and finds herself more than a little on edge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I AM SO SO SORRY! I LEGIT THOUGHT I POSTED THIS MONTHS BACK! I have the rest of the story more or less complete so I'll work hard to do weekly updates (maybe more if I have time) Anyway happy late christmas and sorry again! X{

With the medallion in her hand, she made her way back to the entrance. “Greetings, student.” The guard acknowledged her as she flashed him the medallion. “I see you have the medallion that marks you as one of the chosen. I do not recognize you, however. Have you been accepted into the academy very recently?”

“Yes.” Revan replied briefly.

“I see. And who might your companion be?” The guard gestured to HK.

“My personal protocol droid.”

“Ah.” The guard nodded. “I trust you will be responsible for ensuring your droid is not disruptive, then?”

“Commentary: Disruptive? What does he mean by that?” HK asked Revan concerned. Though amused by his quickly defensive state, she held back a smile. “I have never been disruptive, master.”

“He will behave himself. Trust me.” Revan glanced back to HK, briefly. HK straightened at attention. 

Assured by Revan’s ‘promise’, the guard agreed to let them in. “You will want to bring your medallion to Yuthura Ban. She is the one who brings all selected students into the academy for their training. I believe she can be located within the cantina here. I suggest you go to her while she is still there, student.”

Revan nodded and did so, HK following close behind. As she entered the cantina, she could feel something watching her. Revan scanned the cantina and spotted Yuthura Ban, a female Twi’lek in the corner staring at her. The stare was a quick reminder for her to raise her guard here. Revan took a brief breath and approached her.

Yuthura Ban was an… interesting character. She talked down to Revan and didn’t seem to care that Revan had a medallion to give her. Despite Yuthura’s outer disinterest, Revan could sense that inside Yuthura was attempting to fish something out of Revan. Knowing this, Revan watched her words carefully.

“You do seem a fit candidate, though there is something odd about you… I cannot place it.” The Sith closed her eyes as if to try and pry more information from Revan. Revan remained stern. “I sense that you are very strong in the Force. That you have already hone some of your abilities. Jedi training, is it?”

“What difference does it make?” Revan replied, doing her best to keep her guard up. She never did like the way Sith pried. Remembering their secrets only made her disgust worse.

“Perhaps none.” Admitting her small defeat, Yuthura opened her eyes and eased up on her intense stare. “Perhaps all the difference in the world. Either way, you possess enough raw power to intrigue me greatly. With that kind of power, you could become a great Sith… if I let you.” The words made Revan cringe. “Does that interest you?”

"It does." It didn’t. Revan knew it didn’t. Being a Sith Lord only haunted Revan. The empty feeling and bitterness that tinged her memories reminded her of the worst of the Dark Side. But she didn’t have the luxury of rejecting. She had a mission and she had to relive her past, at least for a little while.

Yuthura smiled as if she had won Revan over. As if she thought herself superior because of it. “Ah, good. Exactly the sort of answer I was hoping for. I will take you to the academy and we shall see if you are ready to joining the ranks of the Sith. I have only one other question.” Yuthura paused and glanced over to HK. “This companion of yours. They will not be coming with you, I presume.”

“You presume wrongly. This is my protocol droid. He will be joining me.” Revan affirmed. It was clear that Yuthura didn’t agree with her decision. For a moment the two stared each other down. Revan repeated the statement again, harsher and more demanding. “He _will_ be accompanying me to the academy.” 

“I see.” Yuthura backed down, her authoritative tone faltering. Though she seemed a little impressed by Revan's fierce attachment to the droid. “Fair enough, so long as he does not disturb your training or cause any trouble." She sighed. "Are you ready to go to the academy, then?”

“Yes I am.” 

“Then let us leave. The Master of the Academy awaits you.”

* * *

Revan followed Yuthura into the group of students and a Sith Master, who seemed equally piqued by Revan's presence.

“Greetings, prospective students. It appears we have a late entry. Who do you bring before me, Yuthura? A young human, bristling with the Force?”

“A human that has had some training, it, seems, Master Uthar." Yuthura answered. "Very Promising I think.” 

The other students whispered amongst themselves in disdain. “Promising? Hmmph. That one’s not worthy to lick spit off." Revan bit her tongue a little. She hadn't been here very long and the sith continued to test her patience. If she wasn't careful she might lose her cool and that was something she couldn't afford to do. Not now. Not with all eyes watching her and the mission in her hands.

"That I'll judge for myself, thank you. Tell me, human... what do you know of the ways of the Sith? What preconceptions has your mind been polluted with?” The Master looked to Revan, with an intense gaze. 

“I know that the Sith are powerful. A force to be reckoned with.” Revan answered simply. 

“A diplomatic answer, if not the core of the matter. Our power is obvious. The question in truth goes much deeper than the surface. The Jedi equate the light with goodness and strength and the dark with weakness and evil. That is their tradition and it is truly no surprise that they cling to it for comfort. We, however, do not treat the Force as a burden. We treat it as a gift, a thing to be celebrated. We use it to acquire power over others... and why should we not? Because the Jedi say we should not? We are as the Force is meant to be. The Jedi would hide that from you... they would tell you the dark side is too quick, too easy, all so that they need never challenge the passions that lie within them. Joining with us means realizing your true potential. It means not stifling yourself solely for the sake of hide-bound shamans and their antiquated notion of order. Be what you were meant to be.” He turned to the other students who seemed more than ready to follow him willingly. Revan held a scoff. It all seemed tempting on the surface. But now Revan could see it clearly now. The dark side was its own hell as much as the Jedi Order was. “Does this interest you? Are you ready to learn more of what I speak?”

She already knew enough to last a lifetime... still... 

“I am ready to learn more.” The words left with a brief friction. 

The Master didn't seem convinced of her answer. “Are you?" Revan could feel him start to pry into her with the first. She brushed him off, though she couldn't completely hide her disdain, the deep rooted hatred that lingered there. For what she had done and for what the Malak and the Sith were doing now. "I can see into your heart, young human, and I see the dark kernel that is there. If it is ready to sprout remains to be seen.” Uthar turned to the other students. “Now, then. All of you five recruits have shown a degree of facility with the Force... you all have the potential to become true Sith. Only one of you, however, will succeed. The one who succeeds will be admitted to the academy as a full Sith. All others must wait until next year and try again... if you survive. My pupil, Yuthura, shall be your teacher and master while you attempt to prove yourselves. Heed her words.”

Yuthura stood a little prouder as she was given authority of the new recruits. “As Master Uthar said, none of you are true Sith _yet_. For that to occur, one of you must do enough of worth... gain enough prestige... to be selected. What is an act of worth? You must learn that for yourselves. Remember that you are competitors, here... fight for your destiny, or go home.” She said that but Revan knew that just going home was never an option. Especially not with the Sith. 

“If you wish to gain a lead over your competitors, the first of you to learn the Code of the Sith and tell me of it will be rewarded. The rest is for you to discover. Welcome to the dark side, my children... your one chance at true greatness lies here.” Revan shivered slightly. She felt as if those words had left her own mouth at one point in time. Though she couldn't quite remember.

Revan was led into her temporary bedroom and allowed to unpack some of her things. Revan sighed and collapsed onto the bed. The exhaustion setting in. She couldn’t believe what she had gotten herself into. It all seemed like some strange dream that just kept bringing up old feelings. As much as she feared it, she knew that this place was going to be opening a whole new side of her that had been sleeping for way too long.


	40. Korriban: Dreams or Nightmares?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revan has a rough first night in the Sith Academy.

Revan stood in darkness. Mumbled words filling her ears. “Just one more obstacle, the Star Map has to be waiting past this pool.”

When she opened her eyes, Revan found herself in some sort of enclosed space. _A tomb?_ She thought, though she had no real evidence to prove that. In front of her, a pool which had just frozen over.

“Let’s go then.” A figure from behind her moved past. She recognized him. Malak. But he was different. Younger, inexperienced, with his jaw still intact. His eyes full of a determined eagerness instead of rage. A memory she theorized. This was all just a memory, but it didn’t feel quite right.

Malak moved beyond the river to a set of doors. “Hurry Revan, we can’t delay.” Revan nodded, her body moving on it’s own.

They approached the Tomb cautiously. When they entered the mechanism of the Star Map opened. Revan’s heart leapt in her chest. This was it. This is how they would find the Star Forge. Revan walked up to it and reached out to revel in it’s beauty, just as she always did. But something happened when she did.

The walls shifted around her, the scene changing. She stumbled back as blood began to soak her gloved hands. Unintelligible screams echoing in her ears. The floor fell out from under her and she hit the ground. Her heart pounded in her ears as the room when quiet and dark. She sat herself up in the darkness. Across from her a red blade ignited, illuminating the figure wielding. Herself. Immediately she closed her eyes, trying to block the sound of her own footsteps out. This was just a dream. She had to wake up. _Wake up. Wake up. WAKE UP._

Revan let out a brief shout as she opened her eyes. Her body shaking in a cold sweat. Her eyes glanced up to the blank. Surprised until she remembered where she was. Her stomach turned and she turned to her side. Trying to ease her pounding heart rate. _That's right._ She was back on Korriban. She suddenly felt a new sense of dread as she wondered if someone outside of her room had heard her. A sound of metal shifting got her attention. She sat up to see HK standing nearby. At the sight, she felt a huge relief. Something familiar. Something safe. 

“Query: Master I noticed a spike in your vitals. Is something wrong?”

“I'm fine.” Revan muttered crossing her arms. HK approached closer, though he remained quiet. After a moment, she spoke and reached out her hand to take his. "HK... you'll be with me no matter what right?" 

"Of course master." HK meant it. Even without his programming, there was something else about his master that piqued his attention. He couldn't imagine leaving her side and he certainly hoped that she would return the promise.

"Good." She sighed in relief and let go of his hand. "I should return to bed." Revan looked away from him, a little uneasy. "Continue to keep watch... please." Her voice was softer than she had initially anticipated. But she blamed it on how sleepy she was. 

"Of course. Good night Master." HK wished her a better sleep. He returned back to his post. She definitely needed the rest and he... he needed to ponder on this, whatever this was. This strange feeling that would come over him when he was near his master, something a little different than admiration, that continued to pester him. To escape his understanding. Perhaps he would ask his master to look to see if there was some bug in his programming. Still it did seem a little silly to waste her precious time on something so minor and insignificant to the task at hand. 

**Author's Note:**

> Currently in my last semester of college so I will update only when I can. A dude's got to study.


End file.
